Nottingham wrist device for tics: teenagers report big changes, but the medical version is not yet approved

Two teenagers with tics say a wrist device developed by researchers at the University of Nottingham has made a big difference to them. Their accounts were reported by The Telegraph. The version of the device meant for treating tics has not yet received regulatory approval. The trial evidence so far shows a smaller average effect than the most dramatic personal stories suggest.

What the device does

The device is worn on the wrist. It uses electrical stimulation of the median nerve, which runs through the wrist, to change electrical activity in the brain. According to The Telegraph, researchers found that rhythmic pulses lowered how often tics happened, how strong they were and how strong the urge to tic was.

Stephen Jackson is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Nottingham. He told the paper that the research began about 20 years ago. After talking to many people with Tourette’s, he said, “we found they wanted a non-drug treatment that was safe and effective and that they could use at home.”

What young people and a family said

The Telegraph reported the experiences of two 15-year-olds. We’re not naming them because they’re children.

The boy said tics in his neck had made eating, sleeping and drinking very hard. He said he had missed six or seven months of school as his GCSEs approached. He described the effect of switching the device on as being “like a light switch”.

His mother told the paper that the first thing he did when it worked was give her a proper hug. She called the difference to the family “life-changing”.

The girl said she had had tics since she was eight. She said the device “has removed so much anxiety and worry about my tics”. She said it has also made everyday things like school, public transport and the cinema easier for her.

These are personal accounts. They matter, but they’re not the same as trial results, and other people’s experiences may be different.

What the trial evidence says

The Telegraph reports that a UK clinical trial in 2023 involved 121 people. On average, tics happened about 25% less often while people were using a prototype of the device. That’s a real effect. It’s also a long way from tics stopping completely, which is what the headlines might suggest.

Approval and price

There are two versions, according to the report:

• Neupulse-C is sold online from £500. The report describes it as a consumer wellness device “to support calm and relaxation”, rather than a treatment for tics.
• Neupulse-M is meant to be sold as a medical device specifically for treating tics and Tourette’s. It has not yet received regulatory approval and is going through the approval process.

This difference matters, because only the version going through approval is intended as a tic treatment. The report doesn’t say when a decision on Neupulse-M is expected. It also doesn’t say whether the device might ever be available on the NHS.

A note on language

The original headline calls people with Tourette’s “sufferers”. We don’t use that word. Tourette’s is a neurological difference, and people’s experiences of it vary widely. For some people, tics are painful, exhausting or disabling, and many want more options that don’t involve medication. Other people live comfortably with their tics. Neurodivergent News doesn’t give medical advice. Any decision about tic support belongs to the person and the people supporting them.

This piece summarises reporting by The Telegraph (via Yahoo News). Read the original article for the full story.