STAT+: Zap in a cap: How one neurotech startup is using a hat to treat depression

STAT PlusHealth tech Zap in a cap: How one neurotech startup is using a hat to treat depression FDA approved Motif Neurotech’s application to test its brain implant for treatment-resistant depression in a feasibility trial Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By O. Rose BroderickApril 27, 2026 Disability in Health Care Reporting Fellow O. Rose Broderick[email protected]O. Rose Broderick reports on the health policies and technologies that govern people with disabilities’ lives. Before coming to STAT, she worked at WNYC’s Radiolab and Scientific American, and her story debunking a bogus theory about transgender kids was nominated for a 2024 GLAAD Media Award. You can reach Rose on Signal at rosebroderick.11. Wake up. Brush your teeth. Wash your face. And put on your lifesaving baseball hat.Advertisement That’s right. If you have treatment-resistant depression, this could be the regular morning routine in your future. The hat would activate a blueberry-sized device implanted in your skull that sends a pulse of electricity into your brain. This is Jacob Robinson’s vision — and it got closer to reality on Friday after the Food and Drug Administration approved a request from Robinson’s startup, Motif Neurotech, to start an initial feasibility trial to test the efficacy of their device in treating depression that hasn’t responded to other treatments. Scientists have been zapping brains to alleviate depression for decades through a method called transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS. Motif wants to do the same thing, but with a twist. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — and get additional analysis of the technologies disrupting health care — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account? Log in Monthly $39 Totals $468 per year $39/month Get Started Totals $468 per year Starter $30 for 3 months, then $399/year $30 for 3 months Get Started Then $399/year Annual $399 Save 15% $399/year Get Started Save 15% 11+ Users Custom Savings start at 25%! Request A Quote Request A Quote Savings start at 25%! 2-10 Users $300 Annually per user $300/year Get Started $300 Annually per user View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Log In health tech, Medical devices, Mental Health, STAT+ Submit a correction requestReprints O. Rose Broderick Disability in Health Care Reporting Fellow O. Rose Broderick reports on the health policies and technologies that govern people with disabilities’ lives. Before coming to STAT, she worked at WNYC’s Radiolab and Scientific American, and her story debunking a bogus theory about transgender kids was nominated for a 2024 GLAAD Media Award. You can reach Rose on Signal at rosebroderick.11. Newsletter Tech is transforming health care and life sciences. Our original reporting is here to keep you ahead of the curve. Recommended Health April 27, 2026 Trump administration warns against using federal dollars on fentanyl test strips Health Care Inc. Newsletter April 27, 2026 STAT Plus: An insider reveals the real goals of prior authorization Advertisement The Readout April 27, 2026 STAT Plus: Astellas retries XLMTM gene therapy after deaths Pharmalot April 27, 2026 STAT Plus: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a Lilly deal, an Intellia CRISPR rare-disease treatment, and more Morning Rounds April 27, 2026 What’s the true risk for eating disorders with GLP-1s? Subscriber Picks