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

What would you think if one day the medical prescription for severe depression could sound something like this:
“In the comfort of your own home, apply the HDCStim device (transcranial electrical stimulation device) to your scalp a few times a week. For 20 minutes, a low-intensity electric current will be delivered to your brain.”

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

Transcranial electrical stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive treatment that has been extensively studied in the past 10 years and offers numerous benefits for the human body. It is based on the simple principle of direct current polarization, specifically the application of low-intensity electric current directly to the scalp. The electric current passes through the scalp without causing pain and influences the neuronal activity of specific areas in the brain, modulating the spontaneous neural discharge (either stimulating or inhibiting neuronal activity) at that level.

WHAT HDCStim ACTUALLY DOES:

✔️ shortens the duration of treatment with antidepressants
✔️ 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 Medical Doctor specialized in Neurology), one of the company’s founders, first described the method of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in 1998, a treatment that is now widely known and extensively researched with numerous scientific publications. Together with his team, he developed innovative methods of neurostimulation of the central nervous system, which are protected by 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.