A new EEG test could detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease before diagnosis in just three minutes.
This recently tested a new technique called fastball EEG in patients’ homes, according to researchers at Bath and Bristol University.
When a person sees a series of images, the three-minute test records electrical activity in the brain. It is designed to pick up signs of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which often precedes Alzheimer’s disease.
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Fastball is a “passive” EEG test, so it automatically takes up brain responses without the need for participants to answer questions or recall information.
This makes it less likely that they will be influenced by factors like anxiety, education, culture and language, led by Dr. George Stottart, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Bath’s School of Psychology.
“Fastballs are sensitive to both pre-diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease and individuals who are at a very high risk of developing it,” Stothart told Fox News Digital. “Importantly, fastball EEG data collection is completely feasible in people’s homes and has become a practical tool for practical use.”
The trial tested 53 patients with mild cognitive impairment and 54 healthy elderly people with 54 healthy older adults with tools to measure memory skills. It was then retested a year later.
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Patients with MCI were found to “significantly reduce” memory-related brain responses compared to patients without cognitive decline.
The findings were published in Journal Brain Communications.
“I was surprised at the reliability of retesting tests in healthy elderly people,” Stottart said. “A one-year follow-up shows that measurements remain stable and in healthy elderly people, fastballs produce consistent results over time.”
According to Stothart, the main limitation is that researchers did not have biomarker data for participants in MCI due to cost and resource constraints.
“However, ongoing clinical validation studies in the UK and the US, involving 1,000 patients each, currently include extensive biomarker compensation,” he noted.
The hope is that this tool can be deployed for use in a doctor’s office, memory clinic, or at home, and will help enable the diagnosis of previous Alzheimer’s disease.
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This could allow patients to access major Alzheimer’s diseases early, such as donanemab and lecanemab, which are most effective at early stages of disease progression, the researchers said.
“The patient himself has not received the results directly from the fastball,” Stottart said. “Instead, results are provided to clinicians, who integrate them into a broader diagnostic assessment.”
“Fastballs are another valuable tool that clinicians can choose to include as part of their diagnostic battery.”
Dr. Christopher Weber, senior director of the Global Science Initiative at the Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago, said the technology could be a non-invasive tool for detecting memory changes that could represent the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
“However, more research is needed before we consider including this in the Alzheimer’s diagnostic toolbox,” Weber, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“This includes confirming these findings in a larger, more representative study population where study participants are tested to confirm that there are brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease.”
Weber also noted that the technique does not appear to determine the cause of memory loss.
“As a result, it’s unclear what the results of this test mean about your Alzheimer’s disease and your health,” he said. “Therefore, even if the technique proves itself in further research, additional tests considering disease-related biomarkers and brain imaging are likely to be necessary to inform treatment or risk reduction.”
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Despite the restrictions, Weber said that fastballs may prove useful in helping them with initial screening and conversations with the patient’s doctor.
“And it may be worth investigating how this technique can complement other diagnostic methods, such as PET scans, blood tests, and cognitive assessments of ‘paper and pencils,” he added.
Weber advised that future use of at-home screening or testing should be done in a “careful and controlled manner.”
He said, “When considering an Alzheimer’s or dementia-related test, it’s important to have a conversation with your healthcare provider to see if you’re a candidate.”
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This study was funded by the Academy of Medicine and supported by the Dementia Research Charity Brace.
