A new form of headset may be able to lower anxiety levels better than drugs, caffeine, or alcohol.
A new type of wearable technology from Thync, which comes in the form of an electronic headset, is being designed to be able to reduce the tension that people feel in their bodies so that their stress and anxiety levels can safely, rapidly, and effectively be lowered.
This headset involves the attachment of two small electrodes to the temple and back of the neck with a gentle adhesive.
The wearable technology device must currently be worn for 16 minutes and, according to Sumon Pal, the executive director of the neuroscience startup based in Los Gatos, California, the majority of people begin to feel a reduction in their body tension. This results in greater thought focus and clarity, which slows the breathing and causes the thoughts that would typically cause anxiety to rise to become less impactful.
This wearable technology gadget is currently in prototype form and is controlled by an app.
The device produces a type of “vibe” that makes its way through the brain and eases the body. More specifically, it uses transcranial direct stimulation (tDCS), for the triggering of specific brain responses, in order to generate the sensation of serenity and calm, or to boost focus and energy, when needed.
The purpose of these wearables from Tync is not to change the biology of the brain, but is, instead, to offer an individual an improved control over his or her focus, energy, and calm, in a way that is not available through natural pathways. This, according to Jamie Tyler, the chief science officer of the company.
Tyler explained that “Coffee, alcohol, drugs; these are all neuro-enhancers,” adding that “You’re already modifying your brain activity.” However, Thync is hoping to use wearable technology to improve the control that individuals have in those areas so that they can more quickly and effectively manage them in a way that coffee, energy drinks, alcohol, and pharmaceuticals simply cannot. Considering the size of those markets, at the moment, if these wearables could manage to produce similar – but more controllable – effects, there is considerable potential for the company and its creations.
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