Loss of ocular dominance columns with maturity in the monkey, Callithrix jacchus

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that adult marmosets lack ocular dominance columns (ODC) in area 17, but that ODCs can be demonstrated upon visual deprivation. The present results, obtained by transneuronal transport of WGA-HRP, indicate that ODCs normally develop in juvenile marmosets but disappear before the animal reaches maturity. The findings suggest that formation of ODCs during ontogenesis, and their persistence through adulthood, are different developmental processes depending on different mechanisms.