Significance We report a unique form of neural plasticity in the visual cortex. Unlike well-known forms of neural plasticity, in which synaptic connections are slowly weakened or strengthened, we found that visual deprivation causes a rapid and transient “all-or-none” loss of local connections between pyramidal cells and parvalbumin-positive interneurons (Pyr→PV). After 1 d of visual deprivation, half of these connections are lost, whereas the spared ones remain unchanged; after 2 d of deprivation, the connectivity levels return to normal. Finally, we show that this early transient all-or-none loss of Pyr→PV connections is an obligatory step for subsequent changes in the cortical function induced by visual deprivation.