First medically-approved £399 brain- zapping headset goes on sale

The £399 headset which claims to treat depression: Brain-zapping device is now available for people to use at home

  • Device uses small jolts of electricity to change activity in the prefrontal cortex 
  • Depressed people often have lower activity in the left side of this area of brain
  • Makers claim the device rebalances this and improves mood within six weeks 

A headset which zaps the brain with electricity to treat depression is now available to purchase and use at home in the UK.

The device uses small electrical jolts to alter activity in part of the brain responsible for emotion, personality and decision making.

The portable gadget costs £399 and it is the first of its kind that has been medically approved in the UK, its makers claim.

The first medically approved headset which zaps the brain with electricity to treat depression is now available to purchase for £399 and use at home

The brain stimulation device uses small jolts of electricity to change activity in the front of the brain responsible for emotion, personality and decision making

With an estimated one in ten people experiencing depression at some point in their life, doctors have been racing to find a cure.

But so far the options for sufferers are therapy or antidepressants, which can cause severe and long-lasting side effects. 

Brain-zapping techniques have shown to be promising in treating depression under clinical environments in several studies.

Known as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), it sends low currents into targeted areas of depressed patients’ brains.

These imperceptible shocks are thought to encourage the brain’s neural connections to be become less rigid.

The theory is that mild electrical stimulation helps to form new and different neural connections seen in healthy brains.

WHAT IS DEPRESSION?

While it is normal to feel down from time to time, people with depression may feel persistently unhappy for weeks or months on end.

Depression can affect anyone at any age and is fairly common – approximately one in ten people are likely to experience it at some point in their life. 

Depression is a genuine health condition which people cannot just ignore or ‘snap out of it’.

Symptoms and effects vary, but can include constantly feeling upset or hopeless, or losing interest in things you used to enjoy.

It can also cause physical symptoms such as problems sleeping, tiredness, having a low appetite or sex drive, and even feeling physical pain.

In extreme cases it can lead to suicidal thoughts.

Traumatic events can trigger it, and people with a family history may be more at risk.

It is important to see a doctor if you think you or someone you know has depression, as it can be managed with lifestyle changes, therapy or medication. 

Source: NHS Choices 

Modern brain stimulation bears little resemblance to the infamous electroshock therapy once used in psychiatric hospitals in Victorian times, but it rests on the same general principals.

While many studies have shown the technique to lift mood, others have found it to be short-lived or ineffective altogether.

But two recent trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the British Journal of Psychiatry showed that tDCS had similar effects to antidepressants.

Researchers at Flow Neuroscience have incorporated the medical technique into their headset and claim it fixes imbalances in the brain. 

The gadget targets the currents at an area just behind the forehead known as the prefrontal cortex.

It is responsible for planning complex cognitive behavior, personality traits, decision making and moderating social behaviour.

Depressed people often have lower activity in the left side of this area, and higher activity on the right. 

Flow claims the headset rebalances this activity, if users wear it for half an hour every other day for six weeks. 

It also comes with a virtual therapy app which encourages users to eat and sleep better, exercise and meditate.     

Daniel Mansson, clinical psychologist and chief executive of Flow, said the device was aimed at people with clinical depression who had been diagnosed.  

He says that the British Standards Institute, the regulatory body which approved it for use, took this into account. 

Flow says it is starting talks with the NHS to try make the device available on prescription. 

The device is being launched in several clinics around the UK today and is available to buy online. 

HOW IS TDCS SAID TO TREAT DEPRESSION?

Transcranial direct current stimulation uses gentle pulses of electricity to increase the activity of neurons in the brain.

The pulses boosts the natural tiny electrical current that transmit signals within neurons.

Electrodes are attached to different parts of head depending on the area of the brain to be stimulated and the desired effect.

A low intensity current passes between the two electrodes, with the area of the brain close to the cathode being inhibited and the area close to the anode being excited.

The currents are targeted just behind the forehead known as the prefrontal cortex.

It is responsible for planning complex cognitive behavior, personality traits, decision making and moderating social behaviour.

Depressed people often have lower activity in the left side of this area, and higher activity on the right.  

These imperceptible shocks are thought to encourage the brain’s neural connections to be become less rigid.

The theory is that depressed brains are more set in their synaptic ways, and mild electrical stimulation helps new and different neural connections seen in healthy brains to form.

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