About Brainclinics

In 2001, Research Institute Brainclinics, was founded by dr. Martijn Arns which has since become a vital part of the non-profit Brainclinics Foundation. Brainclinics Foundation’s primary mission is best summarized as: Applied Neuroscience 'from the clinic, to the clinic' and focuses on interventional psychiatry and applied neuroscience where research outcomes should be easily translatable into clinical practice and clinically actionable: Our primary goal is the patient, who needs better treatment tomorrow... not in 10 years! Our expertise extends to the development and application of brain stimulation techniques, such as rTMS for depression and OCD, TMS induced Heart-Brain Coupling and EEG based precision psychiatry and stratified psychiatry for ADHD and Depression.

Over the last 20 years, Brainclinics has pioneered the application of neurofeedback in the treatment of ADHD and insomnia. It was one of the first to recognize the importance of the circadian clock and sleep problems underlying many symptoms like impaired concentration and impulse control, specifically in ADHD, while also pioneering and refining magnetic brain stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of depression and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). The results of our research are a valuable aid in the treatment and prevention of symptoms such as mood-, concentration-, impulse control-, and sleep problems, often seen in disorders such as depression, ADHD, and insomnia. Our research results have contributed to the reimbursement and positioning of TMS by healthcare insurers in the Netherlands. 

A key topic of our research revolves around ‘precision psychiatry’ and 'stratified psychiatry', going beyond the traditional ‘diagnostic-thinking’ and focusing on individual differences that can help optimize and individualize treatment and prevent symptoms from occurring. 

Brainclinics researchers have published over 200 scientific publications on these and related topics and continue to collaborate with various researchers and universities around the world including Stanford University (US), Sydney University (AU), Harvard University (US), UCLA (US), University of Zurich (CH), Radboud University (NL)  amongst others. We aim to make our knowledge and expertise available through our research publications, books & PhD theses and interactive media and our open-access resources such as the TDBRAIN archive.

Our applied neuroscience focus is also exemplified by various successful Brainclinics spin-off ventures such as: Brainquiry (founded in 2002, which introduced the first Bluetooth-based EEG system and a smartwatch - years before the Apple watch was launched), Neurocare Group (2015, an international innovative mental health clinic specialised in TMS and neurofeedback), Neurocademy (2015, a training platform for certification in neuromodulation treatments such as TMS and neurofeedback), and the Brainmarker platform (2023, an EEG based platform used for treatment stratification in depression and ADHD).

The most important pillar of our philosophy and mission is independence. Our non-profit foundation status ensures it is all about knowledge creation and content and our independence from companies and universities, but collaboration with companies and universities ensures we conduct research independently and free of bias, that is focused on clinical relevance, or as stated in our mission: 

Applied Neuroscience from the clinic, to the clinic!