Noninvasive brain stimulation by radioelectric asymmetric conveyor in the treatment of agoraphobia: open-label, naturalistic study

Radio electric asymmetric conveyer neuromodulation in depression, anxiety, and stress

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of specific neuromodulation treatments performed with radio electric asymmetric conveyer (REAC) technology in the treatment of the symptomatic triad depression, anxiety, and stress by the use of a specific psychometric test such as the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-42 items (DASS-42) version, which assesses simultaneously the severity of expression of this triad.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The design of this study was planned to compare two populations that performed DASS-42 test twice within a similar period of time. The first population performed the first DASS test before the treatment and the second test about 3 months later, at the end of two specific REAC neuromodulation treatments, neuropostural optimization (NPO) and neuropsychophysical optimization (NPPO), that have previously shown an efficacy in the treatment of depression, anxiety and stress. The second population (untreated), used as the randomized control group, consisted of a similar group by gender and age, who performed the DASS-42 test in an online platform twice, with an interval of about 3 months between the first and second tests, similar to the interval between the two tests in the treated group.

RESULTS

The comparison between the treated group and the control group points out the REAC treatment efficacy in improving the quality of life. At the second DASS-42 test, self-administered about 3 months after the treatments, treated patients were positioned on average values of much milder severity in all the three clusters, depression, anxiety, and stress, while in untreated patients there was no significant difference between the mean values of the first and second DASS tests.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained in this study, evaluated with the DASS-42 test, confirm that REAC-NPO and REAC-NPPO neuromodulation treatments can be useful tools for the clinical treatment of depression, anxiety, and stress, as already proven by previous results evaluated with different psychometric tests.

REAC neuromodulation treatments in subjects with severe socioeconomic and cultural hardship in the Brazilian state of Pará: a family observational pilot study

PURPOSE

The purpose of this preliminary observational study was to evaluate the usefulness of a humanitarian initiative, aimed at improving the neuropsychological and behavioral attitude of children with severe socioeconomic and cultural hardship, in the Brazilian state of Pará. This humanitarian initiative was realized through the administration of two neuromodulation protocols, with radioelectric asymmetric conveyor (REAC) technology. During several years of clinical use, the REAC neuromodulation protocols have already proved to be effective in countering the effects of environmental stress on neuropsycho-physical functions.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

After the preliminary medical examination, all subjects were investigated with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), including the impact supplement with teacher's report. After the SDQ, they received the neuromodulation treatment with REAC technology named neuro postural optimization (NPO), to evaluate their responsiveness. Subsequently, every 3 months all subjects underwent a treatment cycle of neuropsycho-physical optimization (NPPO) with REAC technology, for a total of three cycles. At the end of the last REAC-NPPO treatment cycle, all subjects were investigated once again with the SDQ. For the adequacy of the data, the Wilcoxon and the Signs tests were used. For the subdivision into clusters, the Kruskal-Wallis test was applied for the adequacy of the procedure. For all the applied tests, a statistical significance of p<0.5 was found.

RESULTS

The results showed that the REAC-NPO and REAC-NPPO neuromodulation protocols are able to improve the quality of life, the scholastic and socialization skills, and the overall state of physical and mental health in children of a family with severe socioeconomic and cultural hardship.

CONCLUSION

The REAC-NPO and REAC-NPPO neuromodulation protocols, due to their non-invasive characteristics, painlessness, and speed of administration, can be hypothesized as a treatment to improve the overall state of physical and mental health in a large number of people with socioeconomic and cultural discomfort.

Neuro-stimulation Techniques for the Management of Anxiety Disorders: An Update

Neuro-stimulation techniques have gradually evolved over the decades and have emerged potential therapeutic modalities for the treatment of psychiatric disorders, especially treatment refractory cases. The neuro-stimulation techniques involves modalities like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and others. This review discusses the role of neuro-stimulation techniques in the treatment of anxiety disorders. The various modalities of neuro-stimulation techniques are briefly discussed. The evidence base relating to use of these techniques in the treatment of anxiety disorders is discussed further. The review then highlights the challenges in conducting research in relation to the use of neuro-stimulation techniques with reference to patients with anxiety disorders. The review provides the future directions of research and aimed at expanding the evidence base of treatment of anxiety disorders and providing neuro-stimulation techniques as promising effective and acceptable alternative in select cases.

Radio electric asymmetric conveyer: a novel neuromodulation technology in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases

Global research in the field of pharmacology has not yet found effective drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, alternative therapeutic strategies are under investigation, such as neurostimulation by physical means. Radio electric asymmetric conveyer (REAC) is one of these technologies and has, until now, been used in clinical studies on several psychiatric and neurological disorders with encouraging results in the absence of side effects. Moreover, studies at the cellular level have shown that REAC technology, with the appropriate protocols, is able to induce neuronal differentiation both in murine embryonic cells and in human adult differentiated cells. Other studies have shown that REAC technology is able to positively influence senescence processes. Studies conducted on AD patients and in transgenic mouse models have shown promising results, suggesting REAC could be a useful therapy for certain components of AD.

Long-lasting changes in brain activation induced by a single REAC technology pulse in Wi-Fi bands. Randomized double-blind fMRI qualitative study

The aim of this randomized double-blind study was to evaluate in healthy adult subjects, with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), long lasting changes in brain activation patterns following administration of a single, 250 milliseconds pulse emitted with radio-electric asymmetric conveyer (REAC) technology in the Wi-Fi bands. The REAC impulse was not administered during the scan, but after this, according to a protocol that has previously been demonstrated to be effective in improving motor control and postural balance, in healthy subjects and patients. The study was conducted on 33 healthy volunteers, performed with a 1.5 T unit while operating a motor block task involving cyclical and alternating flexion and extension of one leg. Subsequently subjects were randomly divided into a treatment and a sham treatment control group. Repeated fMRI examinations were performed following the administration of the REAC pulse or sham treatment. The Treated group showed cerebellar and ponto-mesencephalic activation components that disappeared in the second scan, while these activation components persisted in the Sham group. This study shows that a very weak signal, such as 250 milliseconds Wi-Fi pulse, administered with REAC technology, could lead to lasting effects on brain activity modification.

Canadian clinical practice guidelines for the management of anxiety, posttraumatic stress and obsessive-compulsive disorders

BACKGROUND

Anxiety and related disorders are among the most common mental disorders, with lifetime prevalence reportedly as high as 31%. Unfortunately, anxiety disorders are under-diagnosed and under-treated.

METHODS

These guidelines were developed by Canadian experts in anxiety and related disorders through a consensus process. Data on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment (psychological and pharmacological) were obtained through MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and manual searches (1980-2012). Treatment strategies were rated on strength of evidence, and a clinical recommendation for each intervention was made, based on global impression of efficacy, effectiveness, and side effects, using a modified version of the periodic health examination guidelines.

RESULTS

These guidelines are presented in 10 sections, including an introduction, principles of diagnosis and management, six sections (Sections 3 through 8) on the specific anxiety-related disorders (panic disorder, agoraphobia, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder), and two additional sections on special populations (children/adolescents, pregnant/lactating women, and the elderly) and clinical issues in patients with comorbid conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

Anxiety and related disorders are very common in clinical practice, and frequently comorbid with other psychiatric and medical conditions. Optimal management requires a good understanding of the efficacy and side effect profiles of pharmacological and psychological treatments.

Regenerative treatment using a radioelectric asymmetric conveyor as a novel tool in antiaging medicine: an in vitro beta-galactosidase study

Background

Beta-galactosidase is the most widely used biomarker for highlighting the processes of cellular aging, including neurodegeneration. On this basis, we decided to test in vitro whether a set of rescuing/reparative events previously observed by us in subjects treated with radioelectric asymmetric conveyor (REAC) technology may also involve antagonism of a marker of aging-related degenerative processes, as assessed by a reduction in beta-galactosidase at the cellular level.

Methods

Human adipose-derived stem cells were cultured at different passages, ranging from 5 to 20, with or without REAC exposure for 12 hours. The cells were then processed for biochemical beta-galactosidase staining and morphological microscopy analysis.

Results

We observed a significant reduction in expression of senescence associated-beta-galactosidase, and a persistence of fibroblast-like morphology typical of human adipose-derived stem cells, even at late passages.

Conclusion

Our results indicate the ability of REAC technology to counteract in vitro senescence of human adipose-derived stem cells, and prompt the hypothesis that such technology may be exploited to antagonize in vivo senescence of tissue-resident or transplanted stem cells playing an important role in clinical treatment of age-related processes.

Neuropsychophysical optimization by REAC technology in the treatment of: sense of stress and confusion. Psychometric evaluation in a randomized, single blind, sham-controlled naturalistic study

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of neuropsychophysical optimization (NPPO) protocol treatment by radioelectric asymmetric conveyer (REAC) technology in the management of sense of stress and confusion (SSC); an analysis of a single cluster of the psychological stress measure (PSM) test.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The PSM, a self-administered questionnaire, was used to measure psychological stress and SSC for a group of 888 subjects. Data were collected immediately prior to and following the 4-week REAC-NPPO treatment cycle.

RESULTS

This study demonstrates a significant reduction in scores measuring subjective perceptions of stress for subjects treated with one cycle of REAC-NPPO. At the end-point of the study, the number of treated subjects reporting symptoms of stress-related SSC on the PSM test was significantly reduced, whereas there was no difference in sham-treated subjects.

CONCLUSION

One cycle of REAC-NPPO appears to reduce subjective perceptions of SSC measured by the PSM.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This trial has been registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry as ACTRN12607000497404.