Experimental models of amblyopia: insights for prevention and treatment.

Human amblyopia has been modeled in a number of mammalian species in physiological, anatomical and behavioral terms for nearly 50 years, and insights from these studies have both offered explanations of observations made in humans and resulted in improved prevention and refined treatment. In recent years, animal models of part-time daily monocular deprivation have made an important contribution to the occlusion therapy of amblyopia in children.