Q: How to become a brand, Valkee? A: To be featured in Donald Duck.

“I took the Ear Light Diamond five years ago, and no-one realizes it has disappeared”, says a scientist in the most recent Donald Duck magazine.

When Valkee launched in 2009, everyone said it will be small and marginal.

The Donald Duck magazine is considered to be an intelligent reflection of our time and culture, covering the relevant topics around us. I am 100% sure no other Class IIa medical device has been in it. Donald Duck picked Valkee because Valkee is unique: in addition to the new scientific findings, no other medical device has been able to be iPhone-attractive to people while conducting serious science – from fundamental neurobiology to clinical trials in depression. The Valkee co-founders should be proud of how they re-new the industry.

There are only two steps forward as a brand – Angry Birds to have Valkee headsets to boost their flying performance (like for the top athletes in a placebo-controlled trial) and Lego Superheroes curing Joker with light (like 9 of 10 people suffering from the dark winter season had their symptoms alleviated in a clinical trial in seasonal affective disorder). Which one of these two will be the next?

This weekend, the human brain becomes photosensitive

“There are no photoreceptors in the human brain.”

“Bright light cannot get into the brain via ear canals.”

“Valkee is all placebo.”

I must have heard these “facts” on Valkee million times from people who believe it is impossible that brain reacts to light.

Brain science is in its infancy and new, truly revolutionary things can be found. If I was a scientist, I would focus on the human brain to earn my Nobel.

The coming weekend Juuso will present at the Scandinavian Physiology Society Annual Meeting 2011. Professor Seppo Saarela and this team from the University of Oulu have done amazing research.

After this weekend, your brain is photosensitive. Period.

The research group found photoreceptors in all the evaluated 18 brain areas. The protein they found – called OPN3 a.k.a. encephalopsin – is a known photoreceptor. This protein captures light and turns photons into neural signals. Directing light onto the brain tissue with OPN3 will have a response.

These photoreceptors are localized on the brain cells that are in some of the most important areas for the production and storage of monoamines such as serotonin, dopamine and melatonin. Monoamines are the ones that largely command our mood all the way to depression.

Photoreceptors in the human brain are the most important evidence at this stage.

For Valkee bright light headset, this finding is more significant than any clinical trial. This is biology. There is a mechanism in our brain. In humans, there are no unnecessary proteins: such proteins would have disappeared during the years of evolution. These photoreceptors in our brains play a role.

Also, the result itself is unquestionable: either you have photoreceptors or don’t – and we do. The findings are made by using the industry-standard brain tissue staining techniques used in science like bread&butter on the breakfast table. Most blockbuster depression medications do not have an exact biological understanding why they work clinically. Having this biological finding for Valkee is significant news.

Something as revolutionary, controversial and effective as Valkee is subject to strong opinions for and against. We welcome the debate, listen carefully and aim at removing depression from the world.