crit·i·cal pe·ri·od

1. in the first hours after birth, the period of maximum imprintability; the period before and after which imprinting is difficult or impossible;

2. in animals, a period following birth when the processes underlying the capacity for socialization are activated or stamped in;

3. Synonym(s): amblyogenic period

Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

critical period

Paranormal
A point in a biological rhythm (biorhythm) that occurs when an individual crosses the middle of a cycle, either from a high to a low or a low to a high; during critical periods, the person is believed to be more accident- and illness-prone.

period, critical

A time after birth during which neural connections can still be modified by interference with normal visual experience or lesion of the visual pathway. If a person has an anomaly (e.g. amblyopia), the treatment is most likely to be effective during the earliest part of the critical period. In man it lasts up to about seven to eight years of age. If neural connections are impaired permanently during this period it will usually be impossible to repair later and the younger the child the more damaging it is. Example: binocularly sensitive cortical cells (stimulated by normal binocular vision) may never develop in uncorrected strabismus, or prolonged occlusion occurring during the critical period, especially before the age of three, and therefore the patient will not have binocular vision. Syn. plastic period. (However, this term relates more specifically to the time course during which the visual system is still responsive to treatment. This may differ from the critical period of development); sensitive period. See form-deprivation myopia; occlusion treatment.

Patient discussion about critical period

Q. what is the most critical period of pregnancy where i should be more aware? to the environment , diet ... and things like that...

A. The most critical, is unfortunately, the period with the highest chances of the pregnancy not to be noticed - the first weeks of the pregnancy. During the first eight weeks of pregnancy the various organs of the body develop most substantially, also called organogenesis. This is considered the most sensitive period. However, the fetus may be sensitive to insults during the whole pregnancy, so other periods are not "safe".

you may read more here (www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/birthdefects.html)

More discussions about critical period

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References in periodicals archive

Its insights lie mainly in the author's focus on the making of American gentility as a main point of contention during the critical period. Cutterham then concludes by suggesting that these tensions resulted in the elites' bold, strategic gambit to preserve social order through the drafting the US Constitution.

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Speaking at the annual memorial service for Archbishop Makarios, at the Kykkos monastery, he said: "We are going through another critical period as regards our national issue, possibly and without exaggeration, the most critical in the history of negotiations for a solution to the Cyprus problem," Christodoulides said.

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Modi applauded Rao for his leadership during one of the most critical periods in the history of India.

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A 2013 study from researchers at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., reported that a drug commonly used to treat epilepsy effectively could reopen a critical period of learning ability, allowing a person to acquire skills like absolute pitch.

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In the critical period from 1956 to 1974, the emergence of newly independent states worldwide and the struggles of the civil rights movement in the United States exposed the limits of racial integration and political freedom.

Plummer, Brenda Gayle. In Search of Power: African Americans in the Era of Decolonization

A critical period is a developmental stage during which the nervous system is especially sensitive to environmental stimuli.

Critical Periods in Early-Life Learning

Speaker, Salim al-Jubouri stressed in today's meeting of the parliament that Iraq is passing through a critical period while some parties still working to sabotage the achievements of the state, saying that what happened against one of the Iraqi people representatives is targeted legislative institution and the political process.

House of Representatives condemns the crime that targated MP Zaid al-Janabi

It explains how the first two years of their lives are the most critical period - when babies grow, learn and move more than at any other time.

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The Saudi monarch yesterday affirmed the kingdom's stance in support of Egypt in its fight against terrorism as well as attempts to target its internal affairs, stressing the ability of Egypt to overcome the current critical period.

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In this critical period, we are determined to support Tunisia and contribute to its success in every aspect, Gul told reporters in his return from Tunisia to Turkey on Friday.

Turkish president: Turkey determined to support Tunisia