Research from the University of Bath could 'dramatically' increase early diagnosis of Alzheimer's
Researchers have developed a two-minute passive test, which has been funded by the Bristol-based charity BRACE
A new two-minute passive test led by the University of Bath could help expand early dementia diagnosis.
Known as 'Fastball EEG', it measures people's brain waves in response to a series of images.
Coinciding with World Alzheimer's Day (Tuesday 21 September), the findings published in the journal BRAIN show that the technique is 'highly effective' at picking up small and subtle changes in brain waves.
The research - funded by the Bristol-based dementia charity BRACE - uses a new method to passively measure brain activity.
It involves participants looking at a series of flashing images on a computer over two minutes, whilst their brain waves are measured using an EEG cap.
As the technique is completely passive, it means the person doing the test doesn’t need to understand the task or respond, and may not even be aware of their memory response.
The team behind the ‘Fastball EEG’ technology says the approach is cheap, portable and relies on pre-existing technology already available in hospitals, making it easily scalable.
They are now beginning to use Fastball EEG in a study of the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease in collaboration with the Research Institute for the Care of Older People (RICE) and the Bristol Brain Centre at Southmead Hospital.
In the near future, the researchers hope that Fastball EEG could help lower the age of diagnosis by up to five years. Longer-term, they say it may offer opportunities to expand this further.
Lead researcher and cognitive neuroscientist Dr George Stothart of the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath explains:
"Fastball offers a genuinely novel way of measuring how our brain is functioning. The person being assessed doesn’t need to understand the test, or even respond, they simply watch a screen of flashing images and by the way we manipulate the images that appear we can learn an enormous amount about what their brain is, or is not, able to do.
"The tests we currently use to diagnose Alzheimer’s miss the first 20 years of the disease, which means we are missing huge opportunities to help people. For decades now we have had tools in scientific research that have been able to probe how the brain is working, but we have never made the leap to a viable clinical tool for the objective assessment of cognition. We hope that Fastball may be that leap."
Dr George Stothart - Lead Researcher, University of Bath
Alzheimer’s is the underlying cause of approximately 60% of dementia, with an estimated prevalence rate in Europe and North America of 5-7% of the population.
Estimates suggest the disease costs the UK economy around £26 billion a year, with costs expected to rise as an ageing population will see numbers increasing.