If mice lose their vision immediately after birth due to a genetic defect, this has a considerable impact, both on the organization of the cerebral cortex and on memory. Researchers demonstrated that, in the months after blindness emerged, the density of neurotransmitter receptors that regulate excitation balance and are required for memory encoding was altered in all areas of the cortex that process sensory information. Furthermore, the hippocampus, a brain region that plays a crucial role in memory processes, was profoundly affected.