A three-minute test can detect signs of memory problems associated with Alzheimer’s disease years before doctors typically diagnose the condition.
Fastball, an inexpensive tool that scans a patient’s brain waves, has shown for the first time that this type of test can be performed at home and can reliably detect signs of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) – a condition that sometimes leads to Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers from the University of Bath in England have been working for years to push the boundaries of available diagnostics, and their latest clinical trial successfully detects amnestic MCI, a major form of memory loss.
The study found that people with amnestic MCI had a much weaker brain response to the speed ball test compared to healthy adults and those without amnestic MCI.
Researchers said Fastball is a promising, simple and non-invasive way to test memory in people with early signs of MCI without a doctor or specialist.
In the U.S., approximately 7.2 million people over the age of 65 are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.
The study authors warned that early detection is vital because patients often don’t know they have the degenerative condition until symptoms such as memory loss, confusion and difficulty communicating become apparent years or decades later.
Dr George Stothart, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Bath, said: “We are missing the first 10 to 20 years of Alzheimer’s disease with current diagnostic tools.”
Volunteer John Stannard (pictured) was fitted with a fast-ball brain scanning device that checks for signs of mild cognitive decline
The speedball is claimed to detect memory decline much earlier and more objectively using a quick and passive test
The researchers, who published their work in the journal Brain Communications, worked with 53 MCI patients and 54 healthy older adults from memory clinics in the UK.
They divided the MCI group into those with memory issues (Amnestic MCI) and those without (non-Amnestic MCI) based on memory test score.
Participants then participated in a three-minute speed ball task, where they viewed images on a screen as they quickly walked past them while wearing an electroencephalogram (EEG) cap that recorded their brain’s automatic response to the familiar images.
An EEG test uses small sensors placed on the scalp to record the brain’s electrical activity, helping doctors see how the brain is working.
A fast ball fits over participants’ heads like a knit hat, keeping the sensors inside without heavy strings or devices hanging from the cap.
Everyone was retested after one year to see if the results were consistent and to check for any memory changes.
Among the MCI groups, some patients who later developed dementia had slightly lower fastball scores at baseline, suggesting that this could predict worsening memory problems.
“There is an urgent need for accurate, practical tools to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease at scale. Fastball is inexpensive, portable and works in real-world settings,” added Dr. Stothart.
In the U.S., approximately 7.2 million people over the age of 65 are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.
In 2021, when the Bath team published their initial test results using the Fastball Cap, Stothart noted that at-home testing can take more than five years off the average age of diagnosis for Alzheimer’s patients.
Currently, doctors diagnose the neurological condition using a combination of tests to assess cognitive decline.
These include blood tests, brain scans, memory tests, and other tasks that measure someone’s language skills and problem-solving abilities.
Unfortunately, researchers have said that these tests are also subject to many biases and can be thrown out if someone has a problem with anxiety.
The study authors also pointed to the benefits of the recently approved drug aducanumab, the first disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
By knowing that someone has the disease years before symptoms begin, treatments like aducanumab can help doctors slow the progression of Alzheimer’s before its memory-sapping effects become debilitating.
Dr Julia Dudley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Too many families are facing dementia without answers, and one in three people with the condition are living without a diagnosis.”
Dr Dudley added that long-term studies involving a larger group of patients will be needed to see if this technology can predict how memory problems such as MCI will develop over a person’s lifetime.
