Two ground-breaking therapies to treat depression

Discover the benefits of photobiomodulation and transcranial electrical stimulation, two technologies developed by NASA and Harvard Medical School

One of the hallmarks of the SHA Method is to combine and incorporate natural, millennia-old disciplines like yoga, meditation and pranayama breathing techniques with the latest scientific, medical and technological advances. This ongoing commitment to innovation makes it possible for us to have two of today’s most advanced and cutting-edge cognitive stimulation treatments, which have been developed by NASA and Harvard Medical School.

As Bruno Ribeiro, head of the Cognitive and Emotional Health Unit at SHA Wellness Clinic, tells us, “the aim is to provide our guests with the tools they need to face daily challenges with all their brain functions at their best. To achieve this, in addition to a neuro-healthy diet and personalised physical exercise recommendations, we have two ground-breaking, non-invasive cognitive stimulation therapies whose benefits can be felt from the very first session”.

Brain photobiomodulation is a technology developed by NASA and Harvard University which, as the doctor explains, “consists of applying infrared light diodes with different wavelengths to specific areas of the brain, which accelerates and rebalances cell recovery processes, increases the oxygenation of brain cells and stimulates and repairs their synthesis, thus increasing the body’s overall performance, energy levels and mood”. This therapy activates neuronal mitochondria, which are responsible for generating the cellular energy we need to live and, in addition to improving cognitive abilities, it is used to treat neurological, neurodegenerative and psychological diseases (such as depression or anxiety), traumatic injuries and strokes.

Harvard University is also behind the development of transcranial electrical stimulation, an innovative treatment that uses a wireless helmet equipped with 39 electrodes to record, evaluate and modulate the brain’s electrical activity in real time and delivers mild discharges of a very low intensity current to the brain tissue. Bruno explains that “the functioning of neurons is related, on the one hand, to neurotransmitters, which deal with brain chemistry, and, on the other hand, to bioelectrical impulses. For example, we know that depression causes an imbalance of these impulses in both hemispheres of the brain and that one particular area, the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, seems to work below normal. By applying these currents at a certain frequency in certain areas of the brain, we can modulate their activity and rebalance the bioelectrical impulses”. This technology, which enhances cortical plasticity, is used to increase cognitive performance, treat sleep problems, addictions, epilepsy, stroke, depression, neurodegenerative diseases and is very effective in the rehabilitation of neurological trauma and stroke.

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