A new treatment method may prove beneficial for patients with depression, according to findings presented at the annual National Institutes of Health conference.

Individuals who have developed this mood disorder are commonly treated with medications. However, the use of these drugs can result in a variety of side effects, including drowsiness, nausea and weight gain.

In an effort to alleviate depression symptoms without suffering from medication side effects, researchers from the University of California in Los Angeles observed the use of trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) over the course of eight weeks. During the therapy, two wires are attached to the forehead and measure electrical currents sent into the trigeminal nerve, which was observed each night of the study for eight hours.

The results of the study showed that individuals who were treated with TNS were 70 percent less likely to suffer depression-related symptoms. Also, TNS patients were 80 percent more likely to experienced remission of the mood disorder.

In the U.S., approximately 10 percent of the nation’s population aged 18 years and older suffers from depressive symptoms, according to DepressionStatistics.org.