A wrist device for people with Tourette’s syndrome has been described as “life-changing”.
Neupulse is designed to reduce symptoms by delivering electrical stimulation directly to the nerves in the wrist.
Singer Lewis Capaldi was one of 121 people to try out the device, which was later developed at the University of Nottingham Recently shared his own Tourette diagnosis.
It helped Capaldi “feel calmer, and the device significantly suppressed head and shoulder twitches, which could have been very painful for him,” the researchers said.
After wearing it for 10 minutes a day for a month, 59 percent of users saw a reduction in the frequency and severity of tics, the team said.
The results, which have not been peer-reviewed, showed a “clinically meaningful reduction in tic severity” in the vast majority of participants.
In an interview with the BBC, 13-year-old Milo said while using the device: “I don’t twitch…not that much.
“Sometimes it’s severe, especially when I’m tired, but if I have the device on, it’s really better. It helps.”
Charity Tourettes Action calls the device “life-changing”.
Tourette’s syndrome causes people to make involuntary sounds and movements called tics, usually starting in childhood.
It can be made worse by stress and anxiety.
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There is no known cure, and more than 300,000 people in the UK live with the condition, which can be painful at times.
Twitches include shrugging, twitching, and blinking. or making sounds such as coughing, gibbering, and whistling.
Swearing is often associated with Tourette’s disease, but it is a rare condition.
Neupulse is now seeking regulatory approval for use in the UK and hopes to offer the device within the next few years.