In a recent interview by KDKA Pittsburgh TV News, Dr Joseph Maroon was asked about the new technology of wearable devices to influence your health.   The Apple Watch is an example of a monitoring technology that can monitor heart rate and is even been reported to detect certain cardiac arrhythmias or abnormal beats.  In his interview, neurosurgeon and team physician for the Pittsburgh Steelers, discusses a new device that not only monitors heart rate but also heart rate variability (HRV) and can be programed to affect our emotions.  Worn like a wrist watch it has the capability to emit vibrational waves that can affect our mood.

Just like the old saying, music can calm the savage beast, it has long been known that sound wavs and pulse vibrations can have an affect on our mood.  This device, made by Apollo Neuroscience, does not use sound but transmits vibrational waves to  certain nerve cells, called the autonomic nervous system, located in our brain.  This area of our brain controls both “fight or fright” reactions (sympathetic), and automatic systems such as baseline heart rate and digestion (parasympathetic).  Two extremes of mood, excitement (anxiousness)  is associated with an overactive sympathetic system and calmness (parasympathetic), often alternate and wild swings of emotions can be very unhealthy.

Using either stimulating vibrational waves or calming ones, the Apollo device (see image) works to bring you into a balance.  Here are a few quotes from the interview:

“Apollo is the only wearable device available that will modulate your heart rate variability to a higher level and put you in a meditative state without meditating. You’re calmer, you’re more relaxed, you’re able to focus,” per Dr. Maroon.

“Rather than like a pharmaceutical which may create a chemical change, what Apollo is doing is simply using your body’s own natural ability to regulate itself and just stimulating that,” said Kathryn Fantauzzi (Apollo co-founder).

Learn more about the Apollo Wearable Device HERE:

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