(ORDO NEWS) — Created by Swiss scientists, the SleepLoop device will improve the quality of deep sleep using sound stimulation synchronized with brain rhythms. The device has already shown its effectiveness in clinical trials and is now preparing to enter the market.
Many people around the world experience sleep disorders. In particular, the elderly suffer from this problem, as the phases of deep sleep become shorter and shallower with age. Deep sleep is necessary for the restoration of brain energy and normal memory function, in addition, it has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system.
During deep sleep, the brain generates a slow delta rhythm (0.5-4 hertz). Scientists have found that these waves can be supported and amplified with the help of sounds synchronized with them, which a person will listen to during sleep.
Although the technique has proven itself in laboratory studies where conditions can be fully controlled, there has not yet been a device for daily home use.
Now, as part of the SleepLoop project, researchers at ETH Zurich and the University Hospital Zurich have developed a device that can be used at home. The SleepLoop is a headband worn at night before going to bed. The bandage consists of electrodes and a microchip that constantly measure the brain activity of a sleeping person.
The received data is analyzed autonomously in real time using special software. As soon as the sleeper develops the brain rhythms characteristic of the deep sleep phase, the system begins to generate sound signals that the user hears through the headphones. The sleeper is not aware that he hears sounds, and they do not interfere with his rest.
Scientists presented the results of clinical trials of the device in the journal Communications Medicine. The study involved people aged 60 to 80 who suffered from sleep problems. They used the device on their own, every night for four weeks. Moreover, sound stimulation occurred only two weeks after this period, but the subjects did not know which.
Most of the participants experienced an increase in theta rhythm during deep sleep. However, individual differences persisted: some responded very well to stimuli, while others had little effect on the quality of sleep. The scientists used this data to better predict a person’s response to such therapy. This helped to optimize the performance of SleepLoop.
The researchers are now working to prepare the device for the clinical market. The SleepLoop will be exclusively a medical gadget that can only be purchased with a doctor’s prescription and used under the supervision of specialists.
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