The company Valkee Oy argues that the eyes are not the most effective route to deliver light to the brain, but the ear canal is since this is where the skull is thinnest.
So far, the company has tested the headsets on 50 people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder, or winter depression. These test subjects are said to have experienced relief in terms of their symptoms.
However, further tests are needed, as it’s still somewhat of a mystery as to how light therapy through the ear actually works.
“A generally held assumption is that bright light can only affect mood through the eyes. But very little scientific proof of this exists,” says Valkee’s CEO Juuso Nissilä.
The conventional bright light lamp, often attributed to boosting mood and energy, has been popular in Finland for years.
Mediterranean state of mind
The headset delivers an amount of light equal to what a person living in the Mediterranean would normally soak up. Valkee recommends a dose of between 6 and 12 minutes a day several times a week.
Thousands of Valkee's headsets, reminiscent of an iPod, are being sold in the EU. In Finland, the University Pharmacy chain has already introduced the bright light headset to its product range.
