Preferred Retinal Locus

A specific area of the retina outside the damaged macula that a person with central vision loss adopts as their primary fixation point for viewing. When the central fovea is damaged (as in macular degeneration), individuals naturally or through training develop one or more PRLs in the peripheral retina to compensate. The location and stability of the PRL significantly affect functional vision, reading ability, and the effectiveness of low-vision rehabilitation. Training to optimize PRL use is a key component of eccentric viewing strategies.