Brain stimulation anti-depression device gains CE marking

A Finnish company won a CE marking to use a noninvasive magnetic brain stimulation device to treat depression. Nexstim Oy said the regulatory certification also green-lights the Navigated Brain Therapy (NBT) device as a treatment for stroke recovery above and beyond conventional rehabilitation. Rather than rely on deep brain stimulation, which requires an implant, the company's system counts on an MRI to visualize a brain's electric field to maximize treatment targeting. A patient wears a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil over the head through which the treatment is given. Nexstim is far from alone in the market, however. Neuronetics, for example, obtained a CE marking earlier this year for a related, noninvasive magnetic brain stimulation device to treat depression. Item