New Device Allows People to Treat Their Depression at Home

An in-home headset that allows people with depression to send mild electrical current to their brains has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, in what medical experts consider a milestone for expanding mental health treatment beyond drugs.

The prescription device, made by Flow Neuroscience, is designed to counteract moderate to severe depression in adults by delivering electric stimulation to an area of the brain that controls mood and stress. While such stimulation is widely used to treat depression, Flow is aiming to fill a niche with a product that delivers a relatively low dose of current at home, instead of at specialized clinics. The FDA said testing showed "modest" results for patients.

"We're really about the democratization of access," said Erin Lee, Flow’s CEO, in an interview, pointing out that many people lack access to in-office procedures such as transcranial magnetic stimulation. "We can put it in any home in the United States."

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.