Around one in four people in the UK experience a mental health problem each year, from anxiety to depression, according to Mind.
For some, medication isn’t always an option. They may experience adverse side effects or they make take medication for a while and it simply stops working.
Flow Neuroscience, a Swedish start-up, thinks it may have the answer in the form of its headset and app which treats people with major depressive disorder (MDD) using brain stimulation instead of pharmaceuticals.
Launched earlier this year, the headset is now available in the UK for the first time, for the cost of £399.
So how does it work? The Flow headset uses transcranial direct current simulation (tCDS), a non-invasive technology that seeks weak electrical currents transmitted into the brain which have been shown to help people with depression.
“By combining tDCS with behavioural therapy, the Flow team has created a powerful medical device treatment,” said Andre Russowsky Brunoni, psychiatrist, associate professor at the University of São Paulo Medical School and co-author of the New England Journal of Medicine and British Journal of Psychiatry study.
“I have seen first-hand the possibilities this technique has in providing a treatment for unipolar depression without the several adverse effects associated with pharmacological therapies.”
TDCS has been used as a treatment for a while in clinical settings but it is often very expensive. Flow has managed to bring the cost down and make it a more user-friendly device to manage treatment at home.
When people use the headset, they also engage with a virtual therapist via the Flow app. The app offers videos featuring advice about depression and how to reduce symptoms. As well, there are tips on lifestyle management including sleep, nutrition and exercise.
The British Standards Institution (BSI) now classifies the Flow headset as a Class II medical device, as certified by BSI's Netherlands notified body, and the start-up is starting talks with the NHS to have the headset available on prescription.
"We want to support the improvement of the current standard of care for people living with depression by increasing treatment choice and empowering patients to self-manage their symptoms at home with effective, non-pharmacological, alternatives,” said Daniel Mansson, co-founder and CEO of Flow.
For more information and how to purchase the headset, visit Flowneuroscience.com
