The Visual Plasticity During Adversity and Prosperity in Infants With Congenital Cataracts

Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of individuals to change their phenotypic status when exposed to environmental variations. However, whether the plastic changes show differential susceptibility in adversity and prosperity is debated and the specific pattern of plasticity remains elusive. Here the investigators address this question by tracking the phenotypes (functional, structural, physical, and attachment traits) in two groups of infants before and after visual deprivation: one group experienced a short duration of complete deprivation (extreme adversity) and the other group experienced a long durations of partial deprivation (watered-down adversity).