Monarch: Headset Launched to treat epilepsy and depression

A new headset for treating epilepsy and depression has been developed by scientists. The headset is named ‘Monarch’. The headset features a sophisticated design and works while the users are asleep. It consists of two squared sticky pads designed to be placed on either sides of forehead. The positioning of the pads is said to be precisely above an important nerve in the brain. 

A wired connection is established from a box placed on the waist towards these pads. An electrical pulse is generated for almost 30 seconds and a second pulse of 30 seconds follows the first pulse. These generated pulses are capable of stimulating trigeminal nerve which in turn reduces the severity of epileptic problems and also reduces the depression rate. This process is termed as ‘Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation’. 

It was developed by neurologists in University of California. Reports suggest that users who have used the gadget for a year saw their epileptic seizures drop by a margin of 60 percent. Similar was the case with users suffering from Depression. They saw a drop in their depression rate when checked with the instrument used for checking depression named ‘Beck Depression Inventory’. 

Monarch headset was completely developed by medical devices firm Neurosigma. The headset has been approved for usage across Europe after conducting pilot studies that showed the device to be actively playing a major role in reducing depression and epileptic seizures.