Flow

The Flow Neuroscience Depression Treatment Headset (or Flow for short) is a medical device designed to lower feelings of depression and anxiety, which can be symptoms of Parkinson’s. 

Flow uses a medical technology called transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to gently stimulate the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that appears less active in people with depression. This part of the brain is associated with mood, focus, sleep and eating habits, meaning reduced activity there can affect many parts of your life. 

Flow Neuroscience recommends using the headset for 30 minutes a day five times a week for three weeks (and two times a week thereafter) to help restore healthy brain activity patterns. The electrical current used in tDCS is 400 times lower than the Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) used to treat severe cases of depression, making Flow a more gentle, over-the-counter treatment than ECT and a drug-free alternative (or addition) to taking prescribed anti-depressant medications. 

The headset costs £399 to purchase or £79 per month to rent. You’ll also want to consider the cost of the single-use electrodes, with a five-week supply of Flow Pads priced at £15. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee, with the company claiming that 77% of users can see a clinical improvement in their symptoms within the first three weeks of use.