Contact Lenses That Treat Depression? Mice Just Showed…

Contact Lenses That Treat Depression? Mice Just Showed It's Possible. What if treating depression didn't require a pill: just a contact lens? A new study published in Cell Reports Physical Science describes exactly that. Researchers at Yonsei University, South Korea, have designed brain-stimulating contact lenses that performed as effectively as Prozac in treating depression in mice. The soft, transparent lenses contain ultrathin electrodes made from gallium oxide and platinum. They deliver mild electrical signals through the retina, using the simple anatomical fact that the eye is directly connected to the brain. The technique is called temporal interference. Two separate electrical signals are delivered, and they only become active where they intersect. Researchers compare it to two flashlight beams: each dim on its own, but creating a bright, precise spot where they overlap. This allows th