EARLY FUNCTIONAL & STRUCTURAL REPAIR IN MACAQUE STRABISMUS

Emory University, Atlanta GA

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Abstract

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. The long term goal of this research is to reveal the neural mechanisms that explain each of the behavioral deficits of infantile strabismus (eye misalignment), and the time in development at which they occur. The specific goal of the project is to determine if eye realignment early in the critical period can repair the behavioral and structural deficits of the visual cortex that result from infantile strabismus. The present project is a subcontract to an R01 from Washington University (Dr. L. Tychsen, PI at Washington University, St. Louis MO). Newborn macaques are reared wearing Dr. Bradley's goggles that were designed for young monkeys, and which are fitted with prism lenses to induce optical strabismus. Throughout the rearing period, the development of strabismus is recorded using infrared video recording. The strabismus is "repaired" at one of two postnatal ages: 10 weeks or 30, which correspond to time periods that are similar to those at which strabismus surgery occurs in children. In this preparation, repair of strabismus consists of removal of the prism goggles followed by surgical correction of the eye misalignment. The grant funding from NIH was renewed in 2010 for a period of three years.