A wrist device developed by researchers at the University of Nottingham is helping some teenagers calm severe tics linked to Tourette’s and other neurological conditions.
Among the first users was 15-year-old Katie, from Hertfordshire, whose symptoms had affected her sleep, eating and time at school. She and her mum travelled to Nottingham to try the Neupulse device before it went on sale.
Katie said the effect was instant. Previously, relentless tics had left her with a sore throat and bedridden for two weeks at a time.
From university research to possible NHS treatment
Neupulse delivers electrical pulses to the median nerve at the wrist. Trials suggest this rhythmic stimulation can alter activity in parts of the brain involved in movement control.
A 2023 UK clinical trial involving 121 people found an average 25% reduction in tic frequency while participants used a prototype. The device has also been tested by singer Lewis Capaldi, who has Tourette’s.
The University of Nottingham and its spin-out company, Neurotherapeutics Ltd, have secured £1m in additional funding to commercialise the technology. Thousands of devices have reportedly been sold, although the version intended as a medical treatment still needs regulatory approval.
NICE has described the technology as promising but wants more evidence on its long-term benefits before considering NHS adoption. Researchers are also exploring possible uses for Parkinson’s tremors, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Why it matters for Britain
The project shows how research from a UK university is being turned into a product that could improve daily life for people with debilitating tics. If approval is secured, it could eventually give NHS patients access to a non-invasive treatment developed in Nottingham.
