August 28th 2023.
Scientists have developed a revolutionary new headband that can detect the early warning signs of Alzheimer's disease while you sleep. This device can monitor brainwaves and alert the user to possible signs of the disease before any symptoms become visible. It is being referred to as the "fitness tracker for the brain" because it can detect the earliest stages of Alzheimer's before any symptoms are even present.
The findings from the study, which was conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Washington University in St. Louis and published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, is the largest of its kind to date. The team used electroencephalography from the headband to detect brain wave patterns related to memory reactivation that occur during sleep.
The results demonstrate a clear connection between EEG readings and the levels of certain molecular changes which are indicative of pre-symptomatic Alzheimer's disease. It also shows that the early stages of mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's can be detected in the EEG signals.
Dr Brice McConnell, the assistant professor of neurology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a senior author of the study said: “This digital biomarker essentially enables any simple EEG headband device to be used as a fitness tracker for brain health. Showing how we can assess digital biomarkers for early indications of disease using accessible and scalable headband devices in a home setting is a huge advancement in catching and mitigating Alzheimer’s disease at the earliest stages.”
The researchers analysed the data from 205 ageing adults and were able to identify measurable memory reactivation issues in association with the levels of proteins such as amyloid and tau, which are known to build up in Alzheimer's Disease.
Dr McConnell explained: “What we found is these abnormal levels of proteins are related to sleep memory reactivations, which we could identify in people’s brainwave patterns before they experienced any symptoms. Identifying these early biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease in asymptomatic adults can help patients develop preventative or mitigation strategies before the disease advances.”
The scientists believe this is an exciting step towards the use of wearable as digital biomarkers for disease detection. Dr McConnell went on to add: “We are just scratching the surface with this work, paving the way for affordable and easy-to-use devices to monitor brain health. This is proof of principle that brain waves during sleep can be turned into a digital biomarker, and our next steps involve perfecting the process.”
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