Head-mounted magnetic field device for depression shows early signs of success

A novel head-mounted device that emits magnetic field may have therapeutic potential in managing major depressive disorder (MDD), according to a study.

Developed by a team of researchers from Nagoya University in Nagoya, Japan, the device harnesses Extremely Low Frequency, Extremely Low Magnetic Environment (ELF-ELME). The magnetic field produces extremely low-frequency pulses at the range of 0–300 Hz.

The device works by stimulating the growth of new mitochondria within brain cells and activating a cellular stress response. This is built on previous studies suggesting that faint magnetic fields with extremely low-frequency pulses can induce mitochondrial biogenesis, which, in turn, exerts some antidepressant effect. [Curr Neuropharmacol 2016;14:610-618; Commun Biol 2022;5:453; Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2023:264:115482]

Depressive symptoms eased

To explore whether improving mitochondrial function via exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic field could help alleviate depressive symptoms, the research team recruited four male adults with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. These participants wore the head-mounted magnetic device that exposed them to ELF-ELME (10 μTesla, 4 ms, 1–8 Hz/8 s) for 2 h daily for 8 consecutive weeks.

ELF-ELME conferred therapeutic benefits to all participants. Significant reductions from baseline in the average total Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score were recorded at weeks 4, 6, and 8. Furthermore, no adverse events were reported. [Asian J Psychiatr 2024;96:104036]

The researchers acknowledged that the improvements in MADRS score might be explained by spontaneous partial remission or delayed drug effects, but they believed that the findings hint at a potential antidepressant effect with ELF-ELME therapy.

“The magnetic field generated by the device is noninvasive, being 1/4.5 of the Japanese geomagnetic field and less than 1/60 of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection’s general public exposure standard,” said co-lead researcher Prof Toshiya Inada of Nagoya University in a news release.

Promising treatment alternative

Inada and colleagues are hoping that the device could facilitate daily in-home treatments, with the patients hardly “being aware of being in a low magnetic field environment.”

ELF-ELME therapy is superior in terms of convenience and lack of anticipated side effects as compared with current treatments available for depression, including long-term antidepressant medications, electroconvulsive therapy, and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, Inada argued.

“We could see our device being used for patients who prefer not to take medication or safely in combination with other treatments,” he added.