A New Headset to Help With Depression Is Now Available in the US
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Flow Neuroscience has launched an FDA-approved electrical stimulation headset in the US as an alternative treatment for depression. The device targets the left frontal lobe to regulate mood, offering a home-based alternative to expensive clinical treatments like transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Why it matters
The emergence of consumer-grade neurostimulation devices represents a shift in mental health treatment toward accessible, technology-driven home care.
With roughly one in six American adults taking an antidepressant medication, Swedish firm Flow Neuroscience is positioning its device as an alternative to traditional drugs. But at the current four-figure price tag, it might take a while for the futuristic-looking headset to catch on with patients.
Worn on the forehead for 30 minutes a day and operated with an app, the device provides low-intensity electrical stimulation to the left frontal lobe of the brain, an area involved in regulating mood and emotions. People with depression tend to have lower activity and weaker neural connections in that part of the brain.
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