Stimulation of neural tissue is used in many research and clinical applications to answer basic questions about the function of the nervous system and to research neural diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Neural tissue stimulation in clinical situations is used for pain and depression management, tremor control, and control of seizures as well. While electrical stimulation has traditionally been used as the method to interface with neural tissue, scientists at Vanderbilt University have created an optical method. This method, known as transient optical nerve stimulation, offers a non-contact approach to neural activation. There are a number of limitations associated with electrical stimulation. It requires a physical contact with a metal electrode, which can cause tissue damage. Additionally, the spatial precision of the stimulation can be restricted by the size of the electrodes and the inherent induction of an electric field. With transient optical nerve stimulation, a mid-infrared light is used to optically stimulate neural tissue. There is a direct but non-contact and pulsed irradiation of the nerve with an infrared laser. This laser uses an optimized radiant exposure and wavelength to generation action potentials and physiological effects like muscle contraction or sensory responses. The response is spatially precise, so it allows for selective targeting of individual nerve fascicles without observed tissue damage.