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In this episode of Anti-Aging Hacks, Kelly Roman and Faraz Khan dive into the benefits of adding electrical current to your brain to reduce anxiety, depression and insomnia.

Kelly Roman is co-founder and CEO of Fisher Wallace Laboratories. For the past decade, Kelly Roman has helped lead the areas of neuromodulation product development, regulatory affairs, healthcare marketing and clinical trial strategy.

Prior to co-founding Fisher Wallace, Kelly graduated from Harvard and served as an award-winning executive in the digital advertising and SaaS industries. He has recently served on the boards of two charter high schools in New York City.

What got Kelly interested in electrical stimulation of the brain?

• His brother is a researcher and professor at a medical school in New York.
• While growing up, he was exposed to research.
• He worked at a rehabilitation center for abused children.
• He is really interested in the idea of ​​using electrical stimulation to affect the chemistry of the brain.
• He uses the device himself and it works for him.

What are the benefits of electrical stimulation?

• There are two sides to the research.
• The first side of the research is the mechanism of action, which is about the function and how a device works.
• The other side of the research focuses on the effects of the device.
• In Fisher Wallace Laboratories, they have worked on the side of the mechanism of action.
• They have found that alternating current is effective for training brain wave mode.
• The device stimulates the brain for 20 minutes per treatment session and that is once or twice a day.
• For depression and anxiety, it is twice a day, morning and evening.
• If you are only treating insomnia, you can just use it before bed for 20 minutes.
• It is very safe, gentle and effective.
• They have 80,000 patients now, but there are no documented side effects and long-term medical effects.

The scientific literature on the causes of anxiety and depression?

• The rate of anxiety increased up to 400% since the pandemic.
• In adults, anxiety alone increased from 3% up to 17%.
• For conditions such as bipolar and some other depression-related disorders, there is a clear genetic predisposition.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur in any abusive situation
• Alcohol abuse and drug abuse can also cause symptoms of depression, anxiety and insomnia.
• There is an incredibly wide range of reasons why people get these symptoms.

Are Frontline Drugs for the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety Effective for Long-Term Use?

• There have been a plethora of long-term effectiveness studies of pharmaceutical drugs.
• They are effective in reducing anxiety, but there are also side effects.
• Many patients benefit from medication in combination with The Fisher Wallace Stimulator.
• Other patients use the stimulator to lower the dosage of their medication.
• There are many patients who do not have access to psychiatric treatment because it is expensive.
• For those people who cannot afford access to health care, the Fisher Wallace Stimulator is a great option.
• Fisher Wallace Laboratory sends their device to rural areas with no healthcare access and low income.
• Rural people use the device and if they are not satisfied, they can return it in 30 days and get a full refund.

The difference between transcranial magnetic stimulation and vagus nerve stimulation?

• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) uses a high-powered magnet.
• In TMS, an electromagnetic coil is placed against your scalp near your forehead.
• This electromagnet painlessly emits a magnetic pulse that stimulates the prefrontal cortex area of ​​the brain.
• It activates the areas of the brain that have reduced activity in depression. TMS is expensive.
• In the Vagus Nerve System, there is a stimulating device that is applied to the neck.
• It moves from the head down the body through the neck, so you can stimulate it through the neck.
• This is the approach used to treat depression.
• There is nothing out there that treats anxiety disorders other than the fisher wallace stimulator device category.

How do they measure serotonin and cortisol levels?

• Right now they use blood tests to measure these levels.
• They plan to have an imaging device for the brain.
• When they go to version 3 of their device, they will embed sensors to measure brain activity.

How often should people use the Fisher Wallace Stimulator?

• The consumer device (called Circadia) does not require a prescription.
• Next year they will focus 100% on the prescription brand only.
• But for now, people can still buy Circadia.
• It is recommended to use the stimulator for 20 minutes a day until the symptoms disappear.

What is the new device (hardware, software)

• The device now has firmware. The big software difference is the app.
• The app controls the device, but you don’t need the app to operate the device.
• The app is beneficial in tracking your symptoms.
• They work with a highly recognized psychiatrist specializing in anxiety.

Connect with Fisher Wallace Laboratories

Click to order the Fisher Wallace Stimulator

If you are interested in improving heart rate variability through the vagus nerve, check out this interview on heart rate variability here.