The effects of dark-rearing on the development and plasticity of the lateral geniculate nucleus.

During a prolonged period of dark-rearing, lateral geniculate X-cells developed normal spatial resolving capacities and otherwise normal receptive field properties. Y-cells were reduced in frequency. Neither of these developmental processes were altered by subsequent monocular vision. In visual cortex, on the other hand, both the development of normal receptive field properties and the susceptibility to monocular deprivation were delayed by dark-rearing.