US clinics add Israeli PTSD treatment to their treatment offerings
Two healthcare facilities in the United States have expanded their treatment offerings for post-traumatic stress disorder to include a portable device from Israel.
The FDA-approved Prism device — a cap fitted with electrodes that fits comfortably over the head — was developed by GrayMatters Health, a Haifa-based company that develops digital training therapies designed to help the brain regulate mental health.
Home Base, the largest private U.S. clinic of its kind treating veterans and military personnel, is adding Prism to its existing PTSD programs at the National Center of Excellence in Charlestown, Mass. New York-based interventional psychiatry practice Fermata is offering the device to help its patients manage PTSD symptoms.
Prism shows a patient’s brain activity in the amygdala, the small area of the brain responsible for emotions and memory, while they are exposed to different scenarios.
This helps patients with PTSD control their symptoms by better understanding what triggers the increased activity in this part of the brain.
“Home Base is excited to test promising new treatments like Prism, which aim to establish a gold standard for PTSD treatment for veterans, military personnel, their families and the families of the fallen,” said Home Base Executive Director Brigadier General (retired) Jack Hammond.
“By offering innovative and cutting-edge options like Prism, we can ensure that our nation’s heroes have access to the best mental health care they have earned and deserve, at no cost to them.”
GrayMatters says the company is working with additional American clinics as part of its plans to further expand in the US in the coming months.