A comparison of characteristics of ocular dominance plasticity in the critical period and adulthood
| Critical period | Adult | |
|---|---|---|
| Time course | 4 d, primarily a rapid loss of responses of the deprived eye | 7 d, transient and slight loss of responsiveness of deprived eye, with prominent delayed potentiation of responses of both eyes |
| Symmetry | Symmetric, similar effects of contralateral-eye and ipsilateral-eye MD | Asymmetric, much larger effect for contralateral-eye MD |
| No effect of BD | Clear effect of BD, like that of contralateral-eye MD | |
| Involvement of NMDA receptors | Yes | Yes |
| Trigger for plasticity | Imbalance of inputs | Changes in cortical activity levels |
| Possible role of plasticity | Developmental rewiring | Compensatory to maintain activity |