Electric Forehead Patch Could Help Treat PTSD

An unobtrusive patch on the forehead that induces trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) could provide relief from chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new study.

Researchers the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA; USA) conducted a study in 12 adults (average age 52.8, eight females) with PTSD and comorbid unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) to study TNS therapy for these commonly co-occurring conditions. The eight-week outpatient trial involved stimulation to cranial nerves for eight hours each night as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy via an external TNS (eTNS) patch placed on the user’s forehead and powered using the NeuroSigma (Los Angeles, CA, USA) TNS stimulator.


While the person sleeps, the NeuroSigma powered patch sends a low-level electrical current to the supraorbital and supratrochlear nerves that run through the forehead, branches of trigeminal nerve that conducts the signals to areas of the brain that help to regulate mood, behavior, and cognition. These include the amygdala, the medial prefrontal cortex, and the autonomic nervous system. Changes in the participant’s symptoms were monitored using the PTSD Patient Checklist (PCL), as well as three other questionnaires.

The results showed significant improvements in PTSD and depression severity, with eTNS associated with an average drop of more than 30% in symptoms, and with the severity of their depression dropping by an average of more than 50%. In fact, for one-quarter of the study subjects, PTSD symptoms went into remission. In addition, study subjects generally said they felt more able to participate in their daily activities, and reported that the treatment itself was well tolerated, with few emergent adverse events. The study was published on January 28, 2016, in Neuromodulation.

“Most patients with PTSD do get some benefit from existing treatments, but the great majority still have symptoms and suffer for years from those symptoms,” said senior author Professor of Psychiatry Andrew Leuchter, MD, director of the neuromodulation division at UCLA. “This could be a breakthrough for patients who have not been helped adequately by existing treatments.”

“PTSD is one of the invisible wounds of war. The chance to have an impact on debilitating diseases with this elegant and simple technology is very satisfying,” said lead author Ian Cook, MD. “The scars are inside but they can be just as debilitating as visible scars. So it’s tremendous to be working on a contribution that could improve the lives of so many brave and courageous people who have made sacrifices for the good of our country.”

Neuroanatomical projections of the trigeminal system suggest that eTNS may alter activity in structures regulating mood, anxiety, and sleep. It is currently being tested as an emerging therapy for epilepsy and depression, with preliminary studies suggesting it has an excellent safety profile and is associated with significant improvements in seizures and mood.

Related Links:
University of California Los Angeles
NeuroSigma