Amblyopia, also known as a "lazy eye," affects around 3 percent of the population.

Amblyopia, also known as a "lazy eye," affects around 3 percent of the population. Researchers found that infants born with the condition had a short window of time to correct the affected eye and restore normal vision. After that, it was very difficult to fix the problem. Researchers at the University of Maryland found a specific gene that, when switched off, could potentially re-open the window of brain plasticity and allow older children and even adults to re-learn how to focus or move their eyes in sync. Published in Neuron, the researchers found that when they inactivated a gene known as NARP in mice, the animals did not develop amblyopia, even in conditions where control animals did. The researchers say that targeting NARP may help amblyopia sufferers correct their vision much later in life than previously thought.

Source: http://cmns.umd.edu/news-events/features/1159