An NHS trial has hailed an electric headset as a promising treatment for depression, suggesting it should be rolled out more broadly after its success.
However, the long-term benefits of this nifty gadget remain a mystery. The trial involved patients using the Flow Neuroscience headset, which was prescribed by GPs for daily 30-minute sessions over six weeks, offering a non-invasive method to tackle depression.
Researchers have praised the device as an “effective depression treatment”, utilising transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to send a gentle electrical current to the brain’s frontal areas, linked to mood regulation.
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(Image: Flow Neuroscience)
The research found over 58 per cent of people saw improvements within six weeks, and one in three went into remission with no symptoms. Flow Neuroscience says it’s the “first and only medically approved at home treatment for depression”.
It can be used alongside other therapies like talking therapies or drugs. It has been by Northamptonshire NHS Foundations Trust, but it can also be bought privately for £399.
One patient said just a few weeks of wearing the device every day for 30 minutes made his symptoms noticeably improve. James Maynard told Sky News: “I was just so low, I didn’t really have any goals and would just go through the emotions of day-to-day life.
“I was starting to sleep a bit better. The wife even said I was happier. I wasn’t waking up grumpy. So there was obviously something happening.”
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