Research
New study shows that a home video game using brain stimulation electrodes can help depression, but a fake version worked just as well, confusing scientists
Earth.com · By Luis Arrais ·
The Brief
- A home video game paired with brain-stimulation electrodes was tested on adults with major depression.
- Participants played for about half an hour on a tablet every weekday for six weeks while wearing a cap connected to a small box.
- Adults who received active stimulation improved, but so did those whose device switched off after a few seconds, so the sham group worked about as well.
Why it matters
The result suggests that much of the improvement in this kind of home brain-stimulation treatment may not come from the stimulation itself, which matters for how such devices are tested and interpreted.
Who’s affected
- clinicians and researchers in depression treatment
- people with major depression considering home neurostimulation devices
- #depression
- #brain stimulation
- #digital therapeutics
- #placebo effect
- #clinical trial
Strap on a cap wired to a small box, play a video game on a tablet for half an hour, and repeat every weekday for six weeks. Adults with major depression who applied that brain stimulation at home got better. So did the adults whose cap switched itself off after a few seconds and…