The University of Bath is developing a simple three-minute brainwave test called Fastball EEG, which is suggested to detect the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease years before symptoms and when the brain-wasting disease is typically diagnosed. Unlike traditional memory tests, it passively records brain responses to images and has now been proven effective in people’s homes, opening the door to faster diagnoses and treatments. With breakthrough Alzheimer’s drugs working best in early stages, this low-cost, accessible tool could work in tandem to help transform early diagnosis efforts.
This work follows a previous paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which demonstrated how Fastball was sensitive to memory impairment in Alzheimer’s disease. This current paper published in the journal Brain Communications, by academics from the University of Bath and the University of Bristol, describes how the passive test records electrical activity in the brain while participants view a stream of images, and how it can reliably identify memory problems in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), which is important because this condition can lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
Importance of early detection in Alzheimer’s disease
Unfortunately, estimates are that 1 in 3 people die with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, and as many do not currently have a dementia diagnosis, delaying treatments, support, and research opportunities to tackle the condition. However, the global figures are much grimmer, with up to 75% of people with dementia being undiagnosed.
Breakthrough drugs like donanemab and lecanemab work the best when the disease is in the early stages, making early detection more important than ever before. This paper demonstrates that the test can be administered in an at-home setting, outside of a clinical environment, which is key to opening the door to wider screening and monitoring using accessible, low-cost technology.
“We’re missing the first 10 to 20 years of Alzheimer’s with current diagnostic tools. Fastball offers a way to change that — detecting memory decline far earlier and more objectively, using a quick and passive test,” said Dr George Stothart, a cognitive neuroscientist in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, who led the study.
How the brainwave test works
Fastball is a passive EEG test that is more objective and accessible than traditional memory testing because it monitors the brain’s automatic responses to images, without requiring participants to follow instructions or recall information.
According to the researchers, the brainwave test can detect early memory issues among those with MCI who are likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, it detected reduced memory responses even in patients who later progressed to dementia, delivering reliable results in real-world settings.
Fastball may even be able to be scaled for use in GP surgeries, memory clinics, or at home, helping deliver earlier, more accurate diagnoses.
“There’s an urgent need for accurate, practical tools to diagnose Alzheimer’s at scale. Fastball is cheap, portable, and works in real-world settings,” said Stothart.
“Fastball is an incredible tool that could offer anyone who, for whatever reason, cannot access a dementia diagnosis in a clinical setting,” said Chris Wiliams, CEO of BRACE Dementia Research. BRACE has been supporting the development of Fastball for several years, and we are excited to see what Dr Stothart’s team will achieve over the next few years with ongoing support from the charity.”
This article was created at the WHN News Desk.
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