Valkee Brain Stimulation Headset

Valkee Brain Stimulation Headset

Have you ever felt jetlag, severe tiredness or anxiety? Well the Valkee Brain Stimulation Headset could help. Developed and researched since 2007 by a venture-funded, scientifically backed Finnish company, the Valkee uses light sent through the ear canals to focus on photosensitive regions of the brain; which after 8-12 minutes of daily use could drastically reduce mood swings and circadian rhythm disorders. Anything to help get through the East Coast winters and business travel sounds great to me!

VALKEE Darth Vader

Valkee Scientific Evidence

Valkee’s brain stimulation headset is based on new findings in brain science and bright light therapy. It has been studied since 2007 in the University of Oulu, Finland, by approximately 20 scientists cross-functionally in neurobiology, psychiatry and brain biology. In total, research has included over 350 study subjects, making it one of world’s largest programs in bright light research.

Valkee’s research has concluded the following:

  • The human brain is photosensitive
  • Valkee causes activity in the brain through the ear canal
  • Valkee is an effective way to increase energy and cognitive performance, reduce anxiety and treat mood disorders, especially seasonal depression

Valkee continues to publish its scientific results in leading scientific forums and publications during 2011.

VALKEE

Contents & Features:

  • Valkee bright light headset
  • USB cable (for PC/Mac synch and charge)
  • Instructions for use
  • Program CD
  • Effective
  • Only 8-12 minutes a day needed
  • Helps to you Focused
  • Portable and always with you
  • Natural and Safe
  • Comes in Black or White

Maybe if Vader used the Valkee the universe would have been a little nicer place!  To learn more about the Valkee Brain Stimulation Headset click on Valkee.com and you can also pre-order it there for £185.

4 Comments

  1. This is bullshit for three reasons:
    -The brain is in no way photosensitive (seriously wtf)
    – There is no way for the light to reach your brain through your winding ear canal and multiple blockages in it such as the eardrum and ossicles . (not to f-ing mention your ears are below the brain)
    -finally there is zero evidence showing that this “therapy” does anything more than a placebo

    Well done geekalerts for hocking pseudo science.

    • GeekAlerts has no interest in pseudo science crap…that is, unless it looks really cool! 🙂

      Seriously though, Valkee looks like it has real science behind it, with research published/presented in PNAS, Journal of Neuroscience, ISMRM, etc. Plus given that light therapy (using products like the HappyLight) has been proven for decades to be effective at treating Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD aka Winter Depression), it seems possible that this could work.

      There is research out there (some of which you can see referenced on Valkee.com) pointing to the human brain being light sensitive, and there is more extensive past research showing that animal brains (such as rats) are light sensitive. However, it is a little confusing in Valkee’s claims, because I don’t see how the light could reach the brain directly, so it makes sense that the light is affecting the brain by way of stimulating cells in the ear that then transmit activity via nerves to the brain (but then it wouldn’t matter if the brain was light sensitive at all). (You can look up recent research where the ear has been shown to be light sensitive and the potential for optical cochlear implants.) Plus, the results of their studies show numbers far beyond what you expect from just a placebo effect.

      That being said, no one at GeekAlerts has bought this or tested it, and we certainly have not conducted our own double blind study. (None of us have any business/financial connection with them either.) Currently it looks like Valkee is conducting more extensive clinical trials, so I am looking forward to seeing their results.

      Final thought: Darth Vader likes it (see picture above) and if it can put him in a better mood….

  2. The brain is definitely photosensitive but do we really want to stimulate it with a specific light wavelength!!!

    My suggestion: do not use this Valkee

    In addition we do not know how exactly deep brain photoreceptors work. So we may well play safe

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