Central refractive error is determined by foveal vision on
the visual axis. However, the foveal area is only a small
part of the overall visual field and more peripheral retinal
areas might also be important in refractive status. Animal
studies have shown that the peripheral retina plays an
important role in determining eye growth. A study in
monkeys in which the central region of the retina was
ablated demonstrated that treated eyes recovered as
quickly from visual deprivation or lens-induced myopia
as did untreated eyes.76 This suggests that the peripheral
retina has an effect on AL growth, and may participate in
the process of emmetropization.