A rapid brainwave test may help detect memory problems linked to Alzheimer's disease long before a formal diagnosis, according to new research published in Brain Communications. Developed by scientists at the University of Bath, the Fastball EEG test identified early memory issues in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition that often precedes Alzheimer’s. The findings offer hope for earlier intervention with emerging Alzheimer’s treatments like donanemab and lecanemab.
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia, affects memory, thinking, and behavior.
The Fastball test is a passive, non-invasive form of electroencephalogram (EEG) that uses small scalp sensors to record brain activity while participants watch a rapid stream of images. In the study, conducted with the University of Bristol, 54 healthy adults and 52 patients with mild cognitive impairment participated. Before the test, they were shown eight images and asked to name them—without being told to memorize them. During the test, hundreds of images flashed on screen, with every fifth one being a repeat from the initial set.
The brain's automatic recognition responses to these repeated images were analyzed. “This shows us that our new passive measure of memory, which we’ve built specifically for Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, can be sensitive to those individuals at very high risk but who are not yet diagnosed,” said Dr. George Stothart, lead researcher and cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Bath.
The study found that people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, affecting memory for objects, had weaker brain responses to familiar images compared to healthy individuals and those with non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment. People with amnestic mild cognitive impairment are at significantly higher risk of progressing to Alzheimer’s.
All tests were performed in participants' homes, which “was important for making them accessible and reducing people’s anxiety,” said Stothart. While the test cannot yet predict who will definitely develop Alzheimer’s, experts believe it is a promising step forward.
Reference: George Stothart, Sophie Alderman, Oliver Hermann, Sam Creavin, Elizabeth J Coulthard, A passive and objective measure of recognition memory in mild cognitive impairment using Fastball memory assessment, Brain Communications, Volume 7, Issue 5, 2025, fcaf279, https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcaf279
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