The United States military has always been on the cusp of wearable technology. If something zany and potentially world-changing is getting any kind of funding, chances are the military is behind it. After all, they are constantly in need of new ways to keep our soldiers alive and happy.
Speaking of alive and happy, did you know one single United States soldier commits suicide every day? That statistic is harrowing, particularly since the number of self-inflicted causalities is actually more than causalities brought on by enemy fire. In short, keeping soldiers happy is an important part of keeping them alive. The military has begun taking this problem very seriously indeed.
They are putting their money where their noses are. The military has funded researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine over $3 million to create a nasal spray introducing the neurochemical thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) to the body. This hormone has long been known to be an effective treatment for depression and suicidal thoughts. The only problem, until now, was that in order for it to work the patient needed to have it implemented via spinal cord injections. Pills and blood injections don’t work.
Nasal spray, however, could work. These researchers think that if it were to enter the body via the nasal canal it could help it cross the blood-brain barrier, thereby becoming an effective treatment.
This treatment is still a long ways off. If successful, it could have a great impact not only for soldiers but for the civilian sector as well. Suicide is the forth leading cause of death for adults between 18 and 65 years old. People suffering from extreme depression can use all of the help they can get.
