HDCStim – The TECHNOLOGY THAT REDUCES TREATMENT PERIOD AND MEDICATION IN DEPRESSION TREATMENT

How would you feel if one day the prescription for severe depression could sound something like this:
“In the comfort of your home, apply the HDCStim device (transcranial electrical stimulation device) to your scalp several times a week. For 20 minutes a weak electric current will be sent to your brain”

WHAT IS HDCStim AND WHAT BENEFITS IT HAS IN THE TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION

Transcranial electrical stimulation is a non-invasive treatment that has been widely studied over the last 15 years and which offers numerous benefits for the human body. It is based on the simple principle of direct current polarization, i.e. the direct application of low-intensity electric current to the scalp. The electric current passes through the scalp without causing pain and influences the neuronal activity of specific areas of the brain, causing modulation of spontaneous neuronal discharge (either stimulation or inhibition of neuronal activity) at that level.

WHAT HDCStim ACTUALLY DOES:

✔️ shortens the duration of antidepressant treatment
✔️ decreases the doses of antidepressants used
✔️ brings a faster antidepressant response
✔️ relieves symptoms of depression
✔️ decreases anxiety, restlessness, somatic symptoms
✔️ improves cognition (memory, attention) which is impaired in depression

Medical Details

There are different mechanisms of action underlying the effects of transcranial electrical stimulation:

• Effects induced by changes in transmembrane conductivity and alterations in intracellular ion and calcium concentrations.
• Synaptic modulation of dopamine and glutamate receptors.
• Effects resulting from non-synaptic modulation of membrane potential (presynaptic, postsynaptic, and axonal fibers).

Newronika – Manufacturer of HDCStim

HDCStim is developed by Newronika, a spin-off company of one of Italy’s largest national research hospitals, Fondazione IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Cà Granda Policlinico in Milan, and one of Italy’s largest universities, Università degli Studi di Milano, which are shareholders of the company.

Prof. Alberto Priori (professor and PhD in medicine, specializing in neurology), one of the founders of the company, first described in 1998 the method of transcranial direct current stimulation, today known as tDCS (with a very large number of scientific publications), and with his group developed innovative methods of neurostimulation of the central nervous system which are the subject of international patents.

HDCStim is classified as a medical device according to EU regulations, falling under the category of Class IIa medical devices, CMDCAS Class II, GMP Class III. It is also approved as a medical device for home use according to IEC 60601-1-11 standards, but only with the recommendation of a specialist doctor.