[Research progress on neuromodulation therapy for dry eye]

Dry eye, a clinically prevalent chronic ocular surface disorder, poses significant therapeutic challenges for moderate-to-severe patients due to abnormal tear secretion and ocular surface microenvironment imbalance. This article presents a comprehensive review of neuromodulation techniques in dry eye intervention, focusing on non-invasive therapeutic approaches including electrical stimulation, magnetic stimulation, mechanical stimulation, and pharmacological neurostimulation. Specifically, intranasal tear neurostimulation (such as TrueTear) promotes tear secretion by activating the nasolacrimal reflex pathway, while transcutaneous electrical stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation improve tear film stability by regulating neural conduction pathways. Mechanical stimulation devices and pharmacological neuroactivators have been confirmed in clinical studies to effectively alleviate both subjective symptoms and objective signs in dry eye patients. Although the therapeutic value of neuromodulation in dry eye has been widely recognized, precise elucidation of its mechanism, evaluation of efficacy differences across dry eye subtypes, and long-term safety considerations still require further investigation. By integrating the latest research findings in the field, this review aims to provide theoretical references and novel clinical perspectives for precision neuromodulation therapy in dry eye management.