Modius wants to zap your brain with neuroscience to fight the fat

Headset uses neuroscience to help you get lean
24766-original
Wareable is reader-powered. If you click through using links on the site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Can a wearable actually help you lose weight? British startup Neurovalens believes it's come up with one that will do just that.

It's launching its fat-fighting headset on Indiegogo today and it's looking to neuroscience to help the headgear do its magic.

Read this: Neuroscience wearables explained

So how does it work? Much like the Halo Sport and Thync neuroscience wearables we've covered before, the Modius headset is all about tapping into the part of the brain that is associated with and controls fat storage. It uses low-power electrical pulses to stimulate the vestibular nerve, which runs to the brain from behind the ear.

By stimulating the vestibular system for 45 minutes per day, the brain then interprets the stimulation as the body being more physically active, triggering the brain to reduce fat storage. This can in turn increase fat burning, decrease appetite and activate metabolic hormones. Apparently the evidence that vestibular stimulation can reduce body fat has been around for years, but this is the first time you'll be able to do it from a non-invasive wearable.

Modius wants to zap your brain with neuroscience to fight the fat

While that all sounds impressive, the question is whether it works. The startup, which was founded by neuroscientists Dr. Jason McKeown and Dr. Paul McGeoch, carried out research which showed that it does make a difference and found there was a reduction in body fat along with a change in metabolic hormones and a proportion of energy derived from fat metabolism.

"Within one hour, there was a significant change in both appetite and metabolic hormones insulin & leptin", said chief science officer McGeoch.

"There was also a significant increase in the proportion of energy derived from fat metabolism. And over a 16-week period, with an average of three hours use per week, the average reduction in central body fat was 8%, with a range of 2% to 16%. These studies were carried out without changes in either diet or exercise."

The Modius headset is available for pre-order now on Indiegogo and will be available to all in the autumn/fall. We'll be trying it out in the coming months to see if it can really deliver.

Modius wants to zap your brain with neuroscience to fight the fat


How we test



Michael Sawh

By

Michael Sawh has been covering the wearable tech industry since the very first Fitbit landed back in 2011. Previously the resident wearable tech expert at Trusted Reviews, he also marshaled the features section of T3.com.

He also regularly contributed to T3 magazine when they needed someone to talk about fitness trackers, running watches, headphones, tablets, and phones.

Michael writes for GQ, Wired, Coach Mag, Metro, MSN, BBC Focus, Stuff, TechRadar and has made several appearances on the BBC Travel Show to talk all things tech. 

Michael is a lover of all things sports and fitness-tech related, clocking up over 15 marathons and has put in serious hours in the pool all in the name of testing every fitness wearable going. Expect to see him with a minimum of two wearables at any given time.


Related stories