Valkee light gadget could improve reaction times as well as mood

We wrote about Valkee a few weeks ago and we’re still fascinated by this quirky piece of technology, it’s essentially just a small light gadget, which emits bright lights directly to specific regions of your brain through your ear to elevate your mood. It may sound like a strange kind of tortue device, but initial trials prove that it works in the same way as a light box, it’s just much more targeted and therefore more successful. In fact 9 out of 10 patients suffering from severe seasonal affective disorder experienced total symptom relief within four weeks following a daily 8-12 minute dose of light from Valkee.

However, what we find most interesting is that the Valkee doesn’t just elevate your mood during the cold winter months, but new research suggests that its special kind of light emitting technology can also have a positive impact on your physical performance and reaction times.

A recent study carried out by the Department of Exercise and Medical Physiology at the University of Oulu in Finland found that reaction times amongst top ice hockey players from the Finnish national league reduced by one fifth after using the Valkee headset. The players only received 12 minutes of bright light therapy each morning for three weeks too, which shows the device isn’t just effective but it works quickly too.

Juuso Nissilä, chief scientist at Valkee, said:

“The ice hockey players were all in prime cognitive and physical condition, and their reaction times were already extremely fast already before using the Valkee bright light headset. The fact that bright light via ear canals is proving to provide an additional edge is very promising for athletes and sports enthusiasts.”

We were really sceptical (and a little scared) of the Valkee at first, but maybe it’s much more targeted technique is what sets it apart from the rest and makes it so effective at not only elevating mood but enhancing physical performance too. Although many of the trials conducted to test Valkee’s abilities are on a small scale, it’ll be interesting to see how successful this quirky little gadget becomes in the coming months, particularly as dreary January fast approaches.

Study from: Sacbee