A headset that zaps the brain could be used to help treat depression at home, a study suggests.
Researchers have discovered that patients who use the device for 30 minutes a day can boost their chances of beating the condition threefold.
The mental illness – also called major depressive disorder – affects around one in six adults in the UK and prevalence appears to be increasing.
Current treatment includes antidepressants and psychological therapies, but more than a third of people diagnosed with the disorder do not fully recover.
An international team led by researchers from King’s College London (KCL) investigated whether zapping the brain could work as a treatment.
Their headset, called Flow FL-100, features two electrodes which deliver a weak, direct current to the scalp.
It is already commercially available and targets an area of the brain linked with low activity in people with depression.
A total of 174 patients took part, with half receiving the ‘tingling’ brain stimulation. The other half, the ‘control’ group, wore the device but only received a brief current to mimic the sensation.
Participants used the device at home while being monitored by scientists over video link.
The treatment lasted for half an hour at a time, and patients received five sessions a week for the first three weeks followed by three sessions a week for the following seven weeks.
Analysis revealed that the treatment relieved all symptoms of depression in more than half of patients by the end of the trial.
And those receiving the treatment were up to three times more likely to achieve remission compared to the control group.
The team said their findings suggest that at-home brain stimulation could potentially serve as a first-line treatment for people with depression.
Professor Cynthia Fu, the study’s senior author, said: ‘The burden of depression is mostly keenly felt by the 280 million people worldwide currently managing symptoms.
‘While a combination of antidepressants and therapy generally proves to be effective for many people, medication can have side-effects that some can find disruptive.
‘Our study has demonstrated that [the device] is a potential first-line option that could help those in need.’
Commenting on the findings Allan Young, director of the centre for affective disorders in the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at KCL, said: ‘These results are very exciting and are poised to have a significant impact on the future treatment of depression.
‘Major depression is undertreated throughout the world, and the current treatment modalities have significant limitations.
‘This trial shows that this treatment is both effective and well tolerated, giving patients who are currently struggling to find options that work for them a vital new alternative.’
The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine.
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