(CNN) The first medical device to treat childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, was OK'd Friday by the US Food and Drug Administration. Designated for children ages 7 to 12 who are not currently on medication for the disorder, the device delivers a low-level electrical pulse to the parts of the brain responsible for ADHD symptoms. Called the Monarch external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation System, eTNS,and marketed by NeuroSigma, the treatment is only available by prescription and must be monitored by a caregiver. The pocket-sized device is connected by wire to a small adhesive patch placed on the child's forehead above the eyebrows. clinical trial of 62 children showed that the eTNS increases activity in the regions of the brain that regulate attention, emotion and behavior, all key components of ADHD.

Source: CNN April 20, 2019 08:26 UTC