In 2015, Dr. Lim Lee Wei, Assistant Professor in the School of Biomedical Sciences, HKUMed, and a former Lee Kuan Yew Research Fellow in Singapore, reported that deep brain stimulation of the prefrontal cortex in the brains of animals might alleviate depressive signs and enhance memory function. They found that the non-invasive stimulation of the corneal surface area of the eye (known as transcorneal electrical stimulation, or TES) that triggers brain pathways, resulted in amazing antidepressant-like impacts and lowered stress hormonal agents in an animal design for depression. This group of researchers is headed by Dr. Lim Lee Wei; Dr. Leanne Chan Lai-hang, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, CityU; Professor Chan Ying-shing, Dexter H C Man Family Professor in Medical Science, Professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Associate Dean (Development and Infrastructure), HKUMed, and Director of the Neuroscience Research Centre, HKU.
The research was led by Dr. Lim Lee Wei, Assistant Professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences, HKUMed and a previous Lee Kuan Yew Research Fellow in Singapore; Dr. Leanne Chan Lai-hang, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, CityU; Professor Chan Ying-shing, Dexter H C Man Family Professor in Medical Science, Professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Associate Dean (Development and Infrastructure), HKUMed, and Director of the Neuroscience Research Center, HKU; and conducted at the Neuromodulation Laboratory at HKU in collaboration with CityU at the Neural Interface Research Laboratory. She is a recipient of a prestigious Hong Kong PhD Fellowship, awarded by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council.
In 2015, Dr. Lim Lee Wei, Assistant Professor in the School of Biomedical Sciences, HKUMed, and a former Lee Kuan Yew Research Fellow in Singapore, reported that deep brain stimulation of the prefrontal cortex in the brains of animals might relieve depressive symptoms and enhance memory function. These restorative effects were attributed to the development of brain cells in the hippocampus, an area of the brain known to be associated with learning and memory function. This method, likewise understood as deep brain stimulation, is invasive and requires surgical treatment to implant electrodes inside the brain, which may cause substantial side effects such as infections and other post-operative complications.
A joint research study group from the LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) and City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has found that the electrical stimulation of the eye surface can relieve depression-like signs and enhance cognitive function in animal designs. The research employee consist of (from left): Professor Chan Ying-shing, Dexter H C Man Family Professor in Medical Science, Professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Associate Dean (Development and Infrastructure), HKUMed, and Director of the Neuroscience Research Centre, HKU; Dr. Leanne Chan Lai-hang, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, CityU; Yu Wing-shan, PhD student, School of Biomedical Sciences, HKUMed and Dr. Lim Lee Wei, Assistant Professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences, HKUMed.
Research study findings and significance
A group of Hong Kong scientists has been searching for alternative ways to treat neuropsychiatric diseases. They discovered that the non-invasive stimulation of the corneal surface of the eye (called transcorneal electrical stimulation, or TES) that activates brain pathways, resulted in impressive antidepressant-like results and decreased stress hormonal agents in an animal model for anxiety. Furthermore, this technique likewise caused the expression of genes involved in the advancement and development of brain cells in the hippocampus. This team of researchers is headed by Dr. Lim Lee Wei; Dr. Leanne Chan Lai-hang, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, CityU; Professor Chan Ying-shing, Dexter H C Man Family Professor in Medical Science, Professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Associate Dean (Development and Infrastructure), HKUMed, and Director of the Neuroscience Research Centre, HKU.
In associated experiments, Yu Wing-shan, PhD trainee, and other research study members from the School of Biomedical Sciences, HKUMed, examined whether this technique might be used to treat Alzheimers illness, a typical type of dementia without any definitive remedy. They discovered that this non-invasive stimulation in mice considerably improved memory performance and lowered beta-amyloid deposits in the hippocampus, which is among the hallmarks of Alzheimers illness.
Dr. Leanne Chan Lai-hang, an expert on the electrical stimulation of visual and non-visual brain targets, explained this research, “Transcorneal electrical stimulation is a non-invasive approach at first established to treat eye diseases, and it would be a significant clinical advancement if it could be used to deal with neuropsychiatric illness.”
” These research study findings lead the way for new healing opportunities to establish novel treatment for patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression and dementia. Nevertheless, clinical trials must be performed to verify the effectiveness and security,” said Professor Chan Ying-shing.
About the research study group
The research study was led by Dr. Lim Lee Wei, Assistant Professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences, HKUMed and a previous Lee Kuan Yew Research Fellow in Singapore; Dr. Leanne Chan Lai-hang, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, CityU; Professor Chan Ying-shing, Dexter H C Man Family Professor in Medical Science, Professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Associate Dean (Development and Infrastructure), HKUMed, and Director of the Neuroscience Research Center, HKU; and performed at the Neuromodulation Laboratory at HKU in partnership with CityU at the Neural Interface Research Laboratory. Yu Wing-shan was the primary researcher. She is a recipient of a prestigious Hong Kong PhD Fellowship, awarded by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council.
Acknowledgments
These clinical works were supported by the General Research Fund of the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (No. 17119420, and No. 11208218), the Fund for Basic Research (No. 201811159133 and No. 201910159163) and for Translational and Applied Research, No. 201910160010); and the Strategic Research Fund at CityU (No. 7005632).
Recommendations:
” Antidepressant-like effects of transcorneal electrical stimulation in rat models” by Wing Shan Yu, Anna Chung-Kwan Tse, Li Guan, Jennifer Lok Yu Chiu, Shawn Zheng Kai Tan, Sharafuddin Khairuddin, Stephen Kugbere Agadagba, Amy Cheuk Yin Lo, Man-Lung Fung, Ying-Shing Chan, Leanne Lai Hang Chan and Lee Wei Lim, 27 May 2022, Brain Stimulation.DOI: 10.1016/ j.brs.2022.05.018.
” Transcorneal electrical stimulation enhances cognitive functions in 5xfad and aged mouse models” by Wing Shan Yu, Luca Aquili, Kah Hui Wong, Amy Cheuk Yin Lo, Leanne Lai Hang Chan, Ying-Shing Chan and Lee Wei Lim, 25 June 2022, New York Academy of Sciences.DOI: 10.1111/ nyas.14850.
According to brand-new research, electrical stimulation of the eye surface area can relieve depression-like symptoms and enhance cognitive function in animal designs.
Scientists find non-invasive stimulation of the eye for depression and dementia.
Researchers have discovered that the electrical stimulation of the eye surface can relieve depression-like signs and enhance cognitive function in animal models. These considerable findings by a joint research study group from the LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) and City University of Hong Kong (CityU) were just recently released in Brain Stimulation and the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Background
Significant depression is the most common out of extreme psychiatric conditions acround the world. Just recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the COVID-19 pandemic had actually triggered a massive surge in the number of people with anxiety and stress and anxiety. Approximately 25 percent of patients do not respond sufficiently to currently offered treatments.
