The first signs of Alzheimers detected in 3 minutes with a new brain wave test

A new brain wave test could detect early signs of Alzheimer’s years before diagnosis, in just three minutes.

According to researchers at the University of Bath and the University of Bristol, who recently tested the new technology, called Fastball EEG, in patient’s homes.

The three -minute test records the electrical activity in the brain while the person looks at a series of images. It is designed to capture signs of mild cognitive impairment (DCL), which often precedes Alzheimer’s.

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Because the fast ball is an “passive” EEG test, the brain responses are automatically withdrawn without requiring participants to answer questions or withdraw information.

This makes it less likely to be influenced by factors such as anxiety, education, culture or language, according to the study leader, Dr. George Stothart, a cognitive neuroscientist in the Department of Psychology of the University of Bath.

“The fast ball is sensitive to both prediagnosed Alzheimer’s disease and people with a very high risk of developing it,” Stothart told News Digital. “It is important to emphasize that EEG data collection for fast ball is completely feasible in people’s homes, so it is a practical tool for the use of real world.”

In the essay, 53 patients with mild cognitive impairment and 54 healthy older adults were evaluated with the tool to measure their memory skills. Then they tested again after a year.

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It was discovered that MCI patients had brain responses related to “significantly reduced” memory compared to those without any cognitive decrease.

The findings were published in Brain Communications.

“We were pleasantly surprised by the reliability of test-retest in healthy older adults,” Stothart said. “In the follow -up of a year, the measurements remained stable, indicating that for healthy older adults, the fast ball provides results consisting of time.”

The main limitation, according to Stothart, is that researchers did not have biomarker data for participants with DCL due to costs of costs and resources.

“It could be valuable to investigate how this technology could complement other diagnostic methods.”

“However, our current clinical validation studies in the United Kingdom and the United States, each that involves 1,000 patients, now include a wide coverage of biomarkers,” he said.

The hope is that the tool can be implemented for use in doctors, memory clinics or homes, which helps enable Alzheimer’s previous diagnoses.

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That could allow patients to obtain earlier access to Alzheimer’s key medications, such as Donanemab and Lecanemab, which are more effective in the progression of the disease, researchers said.

“Patients themselves do not receive the results of the fast ball directly,” Stothart said. “On the other hand, results are provided to the clinician, which integrates them into a broader diagnostic evaluation.”

“Fast Ball is another valuable tool that doctors can choose to include as part of their diagnostic battery.”

Christopher Weber, Ph.D., senior director of Global Sciences initiatives of the Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago, said this technology has potential as a non -invasive tool for the detection of memory changes that could indicate the first stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

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“However, more research is needed before this could be considered for its inclusion in the diagnostic toolbox for Alzheimer’s,” said Weber, who did not participate in the study, News Digital.

“This includes the confirmation of these findings in larger and more representative study populations, for longer periods of time, where tests are carried out to confirm that study participants have brain changes related to Alzheimer’s.”

Weber also pointed out that this technology does not seem to determine the cause of memory loss.

“As a result, it is not clear what the results of this test can mean about the risk of their Alzheimer’s and/or health status,” he said. “Therefore, even if this technology is demonstrated with more research, it is likely that additional tests will also be needed, observing biomarkers related to the disease or images of the brain, to inform the treatment or reduction of risk.”

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Despite the limitations, Weber said that the fast ball can be valuable for the initial detection or to inform a patient’s conversations with his doctor.

“And it could be valuable to investigate how this technology could complement other diagnostic methods, such as PET scans, blood tests and cognitive evaluations of ‘paper and pencil’,” he added.

Any future use of detection or trial in the home must be done in a “careful and controlled way,” Weber advised.

He added: “When considering any test related to Alzheimer’s or dementia, it is important to have a conversation with your medical care provider to see if you are a candidate.”

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The study was funded by the Academy of Medical Sciences and supported by Dementia Research Charity Brace.