ADHD headband treats symptoms in 20 minutes per day

As someone with severe ADHD who has been repeatedly told they need to try everything that's not medication (so much CBT), I am now deeply sceptical of every new supposed cure.

A presumably extremely expensive headband that claims to be a "MRI in your pocket" and has an AI assistant to help you use it correctly seems like yet another scam preying on the disabled.

I'll stick to the meds thanks.

    While there isn't ... clinical studies

Ah, the standard "you just need to work on it" trope for ADHD treatment with a serving of "neurons that fire together wire together" and "this device monitors your brain exercises so you can see your executive function get stronger"

If you could ACTUALLY make your executive function stronger this way, all of these productivity hacks ADHD sufferers use would also have had some kind of lasting effect.

I know that there is a lot of research going into transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

For some diseases it has been shown to be effective. However, for ADHD - as far as i can see - the studies don't agree and it is preliminary for any conclusions [1].

From [1]: Finally, a PubMed search (keywords: tDCS AND attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) identified 24 papers, including 2 original clinical studies (single-session studies) and 80 patients. One study (60 patients) did not find significant differences between active and sham tDCS regarding the effect of bihemispheric tDCS of the DLFPC (left anode + right cathode) on behavioral performance in go/no-go tasks (Cosmo et al., 2015). Conversely, the other study (20 patients) showed that anodal tDCS of the left DLPFC (with right supraorbital cathode) increased the proportion of correct responses in go/no-go tasks, whereas cathodal tDCS of the left DLPFC increased the inhibition accuracy (Soltaninejad et al., 2016). Obviously, reported results are too preliminary to make any recommendation for the use of tDCS in all these psychiatric conditions.

[1] Evidence-based guidelines on the therapeutic use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S138824571...)

With the topics of ADHD and autism entering mainstream Internet conversations more often, I think it's kind of predictable that stuff like this will start showing up more regularly.

Considering how much people can struggle with these issues, even in spite of proper medical care, it's safe to assume for the time being that this falls under the magic device category.

These guys went on Shark Tank, and received no offers because their fine print says that it has “no medical benefits” and is not backed up by any peer-reviewed scientific evidence.

This sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

This isn't some new, or innovative technology. Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDSC) has been studied for a long time and there even is an active community of enthusiastic DIY experimentalists. tDSC is certainly interesting, but it is also inherently limited, evident by lack of praxis/application. If tDSC is proven effective for treating ADHD symptoms you can relatively easily have the same thing (probably better) as an opensource project, 3D printing and FOSS. Not going this route is kinda sus to me. Pretty sure this was a business looking for an idea, not the other way around. Probably targeted at TikTok diagnoses not eligible for controlled meds and clout-chasing "biohackers", who will gladly preach the good news through affiliate links.

I doubt tDSC will ever beat stimulant medication, which is a cheap, safe and very effective treatment option, for almost a century. Some studies even show MRI evidence for long-term normalization of (young) ADHD brains with stimulant medication. Retarded formulations have a very low abuse potential. The biggest problem with these meds is legislation and stigma. And lately supply chain issues...

Oh, and the advertised thing is most definitely not a "brain-imaging device" lol.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcranial_direct-current_st...

https://old.reddit.com/r/tDCS/

I'm also going to stick to the meds, as they work very well for me, with that said tDCS seems to have some merit, according to research [0]. But there doesn't seem to be a lot of data with larger sample sizes yet. So this product doesn't completely strike me as snake oil, but i have my reservations until more data is available or at least FDA approved

[0] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32418073/

Is the technology inside this device likely to be relatively simple? It seems like an area that would naturally attract a lot of hackers running experiments, etc. Being able to be powered by a small enough battery to fit into a headset is also quite interesting considering the high level of power typically used in TMS.

One word comes to mind - "Juicero"

[0]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juicero

This isn't FDA approved at all, it might as well be a supplement. Which is to say it likely doesn't help at all.

I hate having my hopes played with. To say that I'm skeptical is an understatement.

How can something that feels like nothing change how you feel and act?

The answer: It can't, electrocuting your brain might work for some types of ADHD (maybe for example for the people who have a type of ADHD caused by tight cranial muscles).

But I severely doubt it will cure ADHD caused by more complex things like inflammation or genetic changes to dopamine synapses or one of the other (uncountable many) reasons that can be behind an individuals ADHD symptoms.

Reminds me of a fascinating podcast by Radiolab - 9 Volt Nirvana: https://radiolab.org/podcast/9-volt-nirvana/transcript

     > SOREN: So what Sally had stumbled into was something called TDCS. It stands for 'transcranial direct current stimulation.' The idea is you take a couple little electrodes, you place them on your scalp, connect it with wires to a battery. You send a little bit of electricity into your brain, and then all kinds of things happen if you believe the claims.

    > MICHAEL WEISEND: So almost every person that we put this on says they get into what they call a "state of flow," where they don't recognize that the time is going by, they're just, boom, boom, boom, boom.

    > SALLY ADEE: And I was like, "Did you guys make it easier?" They're like, "No, same—same level." I'm like, "I think you guys made it easier."

I am unbelievably skeptical to this and am having trouble believing this is anything other than quack stuff, but I don't have the personal skill or knowledge to make real sense of this – I'd need some real research presented rather than a marketing video. Anyone here able to help explain the head-zap-o-tron and how viable it is to a pleb like myself?

Absolutely fascinating if it works, though.

How does it work? I read 75% of the article?

This kind of snake oil stuff should be illegal as it only enables abuse of people with such condition.

I can easily picture this:

"concerned relative / partner"> You could be much better if only you tried this <insert name of magic cure / device>

person with condition> I have researched this, these things don't work, it is a waste of time and money.

"concerned relative / partner"> No, you just don't want to get better! I am really losing patience with you. Why don't you want to get help!?

I'm reminded of the "magnet therapy" my grandmother was given for her gallbladder cancer in the 80s or 90s.

What probability it is complete BS?

This is going to lead to horrible results.

Note the link between ADHD and Parkison's: https://parkinsonsdisease.net/news/adhd-increased-risk

These are both Dopamine deficient disorders. By using EMFs to stimulate the brain you will not increase the amount of Dopamine created, you will only increase the Dopamine that is released. This will lead to longer term issues, and I fully believe, an increase in the risk of Parkinson's or other dopa related disorders.

Will it help symptoms? Yes. But so does Ritalin and so does Levdopa for Parkinson's. And it is well know that Levdopa makes Parkinson's worse in the long run for many people by accelerating the loss of nigrostriatal dopamine nerve terminals:

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa033447

"The clinical data suggest that levodopa either slows the progression of Parkinson's disease or has a prolonged effect on the symptoms of the disease. In contrast, the neuroimaging data suggest either that levodopa accelerates the loss of nigrostriatal dopamine nerve terminals or that its pharmacologic effects modify the dopamine transporter. The potential long-term effects of levodopa on Parkinson's disease remain uncertain."

And Ritalin is known to increase the risk of PArkinon's: https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-medications-parkinsons-dise... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36593727/

Why is this? Because in these people the damage is caused by the rapid metabolism of Dopamine and the creation of H2O2, an oxidative stressor that destroys the neurons.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4135313/

So these people would likely do better by focusing on reducing the oxidative stress of increased H2O2.

But back to ADHD: ADHD is known to be linked to lower dopamine creation. To increase dopamine where and when the brain needs it you need to stimulate the pathway that makes Dopamine. This is a simple pathway.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eirini-Kalliolia/public...

The enzymes GCH1 and PTPS need zinc to work. BH4 (Tetrahydrobipterin) is very sensitive to oxidative stress, TH needs Iron, and AADC (DDC) needs B6.

The genetic disorder, AADC Deficiency, leads to ADHD symptoms. https://aadcnews.com/columns/how-understanding-adhd-helps-us...

If you have a genetic polymorphism in any of these genes it will make you more likely to have lower dopamine. And if you are deficient in any of the vitamin cofactors you will also be deficient in dopamine.

IMH(well researched)O, ADHD is a polygenetic and dietary disorder that can be reversed with nutrition and limiting the release of dopamine (like no coffee, no alcohol, no sugar, etc).

Personalized Medicine is the only way anyone will have any relief from ADHD. For each person there are different genetic and environmental causes. EMF Stimulation if trying to find a magic bullet for a complex and individual disorder and it will lead to worse outcomes.

I don’t necessarily discount that the underlying premise of this headband (electrical brain stimulation) may have some positive impact on some ADHD symptoms in some people, this product rings of overengineered design-by-committee VC-leveraged scam product.

First of all, “MRI in your pocket” is just complete nonsense. Brain wave monitoring has nothing to do with MRIs. MRIs have never been shown to have any relevance to detecting or monitoring ADHD symptoms. And this headband and the associated app could never provide any MRI-like features.

Secondly, the included AI assistant screams of “we added this to appease our investors so we could get another round of funding”. The article doesn’t detail how the AI would interact with the headband anyway. Rather, given that the AI assistant generates “user-friendly, personalized to-do lists”, it sounds like this is just another “you just need to make better todo lists” low-effort ChatGPT wrapper from neurotypical busybodies who fundamentally misunderstand ADHD in the most insulting ways.

The article’s summary, “It's essentially a brain-imaging device for personal use”, is just a flat-out, irresponsible lie.

From what I know of ADHD in re-using my Biology and Chemistry knowledge to come up with a Nootropics stack that works...

It would seem that this device is some quackery....

Why? Because ADHD hyperactivity is a loss of control not extra neuro activity...

For those thinking any technology might be a "cure" for a specific disability, I highly recommend checking out the book Against Technoableism by Ashley Shew [1]. It really helps articulate the reasoning behind "nothing about us without us" in the context of "life changing" technology - including snakeoil bullshit like this.

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Against-Technoableism-Rethinking-Impr...

The meds are basically speed. Epilepsy patients are told never to use speed, but then another doctor can diagnose AD(H)D and prescribe ritalin. I hope these new treatments work well, reduce side effects, and have less chance of interacting with other treatments.