Contact Lenses Using Tiny Electrical Signals Could Target Brain Regions to Ease Depression
As cases of treatment-resistant depression increase, with some estimates suggesting that nearly half of all depression diagnoses may fall into this category, the search for alternative therapies continues. Beyond the challenge of finding truly effective treatments, the common side effects of antidepressants, including nausea, weight gain, drowsiness, and sexual dysfunction, are leading researchers to explore completely different ways to relieve mental health symptoms.
Now, a research team from Yonsei University has developed special contact lenses that stimulate areas of the brain linked to mood disorders using mild electrical signals. In their study, published in Cellular Reports Physical Sciencesafter just three weeks, mice with depressive symptoms showed improvement in behavioral, neural, and physiological markers comparable to the common antidepressant Prozac.
“Our work opens a whole new frontier in treating brain disorders through the eye,” lead author Jang-Ung Park, a materials scientist at Yonsei University, said in a statement. “We believe this portable, drug-free approach holds tremendous promise for transforming the way depression and other brain conditions are treated, including anxiety, substance abuse, and cognitive decline.” »
Stimulate brain areas through the retina
Scientists were looking for a way to target regions of the brain involved in depression without relying on established treatments like drugs or electroconvulsive therapy. This led them to the retina, which connects directly to some of these brain regions and could theoretically offer a precise stimulation pathway.
Researchers have already experimented with contact lenses that monitor eye conditions and metabolic disorders through measurements such as eye pressure or blood sugar, but no one has yet expanded their use to treating brain disorders.
“Because the eye is anatomically part of the brain, we wondered if a simple contact lens could serve as a gentle, non-invasive gateway to the brain circuits that control mood,” Park said.
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Special contact lenses versus common antidepressants
Researchers designed the lenses to transmit tiny electrical signals to the retina, where they overlap and activate mood-related pathways in the brain. Because signals only become active at the point where they intersect, stimulation can target specific regions of the brain without affecting surrounding tissue.
“Think of two flashlights: Each beam alone is dim, but where they overlap, a bright spot appears, and this bright spot can be created far from the flashlights themselves. Our contact lens does the same with two harmless electrical signals,” Park said. “Even though the electrodes are on the surface of the eye, the signals only become active where they meet at the retina, deep within the eye, gently activating the natural wiring that carries the signal to mood-related brain regions.”
In mice with induced depression, the treatment appeared to make a noticeable difference. After daily 30-minute sessions for three weeks, the mice showed improvements in behavior, brain activity and depression-related biomarkers comparable to those seen with fluoxetine, commonly known as Prozac.
No difference between healthy and depressed mice
A closer look at the mice’s brains showed that the treatment strengthened the connections between two brain regions commonly affected by depression. The lentils also appeared to restore depleted biomarkers, reduce brain inflammation, and increase serotonin levels.
“We were struck that improvements appeared in behavior, brain activity and biology simultaneously and that the effect was comparable to that of a widely used antidepressant,” Park said.
Even a machine learning tool couldn’t distinguish between healthy and depressed mice treated with contact lenses when comparing measures of behavior, brain activity, and biomarkers.
“Like any new medical technology, our contact lenses will need to undergo rigorous clinical evaluation in patients before reaching the market,” Park added. “Next, we plan to make the lens completely wireless, test it for long-term safety on larger animals, and personalize stimulation for each user before moving into clinical trials on patients.”
This article does not offer medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.
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