Scottish Daily Mail

The headphones that could ease hot flushes

- By ROGER DOBSON

SpeCiAL headphones that allow patients to ‘listen’ to their brainwaves could be a new way to tackle hot flushes. The headphones are connected to a device containing sensors that detect brainwaves — it then turns these signals into audible sounds patients can hear almost immediatel­y.

Researcher­s say that the sounds trigger the brain into correcting the nervous system, which is thought to play a key role in hot flushes.

Around 50 women are now taking part in a clinical trial of the device in the U.S.

Hot flushes are a common symptom of the menopause. A rise in skin temperatur­e in the face and upper body causes blood vessels just under the skin to dilate, leading to the characteri­stic ‘flushed’ look, as well as a feeling of intense heat and sweating.

While the exact cause of this is not known, one theory is that it involves a malfunctio­n of the heat control mechanisms in the brain, possibly as a result of the changes in hormone levels that occur around the menopause.

The autonomic, or involuntar­y, nervous system, which regulates unconsciou­s bodily functions such as heartbeat, is also involved in hot flushes.

The new device, which is known as HiRReM (high-resolution, relational, resonance-based, electroenc­ephalic mirroring), works by detecting changes in the brain’s activity.

it has three components: scalp sensors, a small computer and headphones. First, sensors on the scalp monitor electrical activity in the brain. These signals are sent to a small computer, which is programmed to translate them into sounds. This series of sounds is then sent through wires to headphones worn by the patient — the whole process takes less than eight millisecon­ds.

The theory is that hearing the sounds alerts the brain to any malfunctio­n in the autonomic nervous system, which it then corrects. For example, if the tones are too erratic, it will reset the signals to make the pattern more regular and balanced.

This technique is also being investigat­ed for post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia and high blood pressure — all thought to be linked to irregular signals in the autonomic nervous system.

Research last year at Wake Forest University in the U.S., where the new hot flushes trial is being held, showed that the brain recognises the tones as reflecting its own electrical activity.

in a pilot study of 12 menopausal women given the treatment, researcher­s found it led to significan­t reductions in the frequency and severity of hot flushes, as well as reduced symptoms of insomnia and depression, reported the journal Menopause in 2015.

in the new study, 48 women will be given 20 sessions over three months, each roughly 90 minutes long, or continue with standard care, such as hormone replacemen­t therapy (HRT). Symptoms will then be compared. C oMMenTinG on the research, Haitham Hamoda, a consultant gynaecolog­ist at King’s College Hospital in London, said: ‘This explores the theory that reflecting electrical activity in the brain may help reset the autonomic nervous system response to hot flushes and provide symptomati­c relief for these.

‘other studies along similar lines have shown a beneficial effect with cognitive behavioura­l therapy in managing hot flushes and, therefore, there is merit in further exploring this concept.

‘The results from the study are awaited with interest.’

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