MENTAL HEALTH: FLOW NEUROSCIENCE TREATS DEPRESSION AT HOME

Written by Michael Thervil

MENTAL HEALTH: FLOW NEUROSCIENCE TREATS DEPRESSION AT HOME | VIDEO BY FLOW NEUROSCIENCE

[Flow Neuroscience depression] The name of the company is Flow Neuroscience and earlier this week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the country's first method of treating depression at home. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5); in order for one to be diagnosed with  depression one must suffer from the following five symptoms within a two week period which include loss  of interest and pleasure or suffering from a depressed mood, consistent sadness, changes in one’s sleep and appetite, low energy, having a feeling of worthlessness, poor focus, suicidal thoughts, and lack of enjoyment. According to research, nearly 49 million American adults (18%) struggle with depression and those numbers are expected to increase.

According to the Flow Neuroscience website, their headsets are a “clinically proven depression treatment” and has been “backed by multiple, independent clinical trials” that:

“Works with your brain's natural electrical signals to gently stimulate these regions, helping to relieve depression symptoms. While traditional treatments focused on chemical imbalances, modern neuroscience has revealed that depression is more complex. Recent research shows that directly targeting brain activity can be an effective approach to managing depression symptoms.”

MENTAL HEALTH: FLOW NEUROSCIENCE TREATS DEPRESSION AT HOME | TAKEN FROM FLOW NEUROSCIENCE'S WEBSITE

The headset used costs anywhere between $500-$800 and can be either bought or rented. What many Americans who struggle with depression may find exciting is that this at-home depression treatment doesn’t require the use of pills. The Flow Neuroscience headset works by sending control electrical impulses to the frontal cortex of the brain. Each at-home session lasts around 30 minutes per day for five days for three weeks and then approximately two to three times a week for an additional nine to 10 weeks.

What prompted the FDA to approve the Flow Neuroscience headsets for public use was the fact that a study conducted by Flow Neuroscience involved 174 adults that suffered from depression and found that 58% of the participant depression regressed into remission after the prescribed 10 weeks of use.  Some of the participants described some side effects of treatment in the form of “tingling”, “headaches”, and “skin irritation”. However, those cases were significantly small. With the first headsets estimated to be available as early as March 2026, only those with a prescription can purchase the headset before then. Currently Flow Neuroscience is in the process of negotiating with American insurance companies. Outside of America, it was also reported that an estimated 55,000 people who suffer from depression have already begun using the device and are reporting positive results.  

For Americans, the Flow Neuroscience headsets will not replace traditional depression and mood-altering drugs, but the inclusion of the headsets into practice will be used to augment previously utilized treatment methods.