The “fastball” test is passive and completely non-invasive, measuring a patient’s brain waves while they watch a series of flashing images displayed on a screen
Release date – Friday, July 23 at 07:40 AM
London: A team of UK researchers has developed a non-invasive portable test to improve the early detection of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
The ‘fastball’ test, developed by researchers at the Universities of Bath and Bristol, is passive and completely non-invasive, measuring a patient’s brain waves as they watch a series of flashing images displayed on a screen.
The technology requires users to wear an electroencephalography (EEG) headset, which is connected to a computer for analysis.
Dementia is often diagnosed too late, by which time the disease has already caused irreparable damage to the brain. This can be up to 20 years after the first onset of dementia.
Current diagnoses often rely on a series of subjective questions to test a person’s memory, which is limited and can be affected by a person’s education, language skills or nervousness.
Fastball is a passive test, meaning that the person administering the test does not need to understand the task or be aware of their memory responses. Crucially, it is also portable, meaning future diagnostics can be performed anywhere, including in the patient’s home.
The team believes that by testing more people earlier and more regularly, it could help reduce the age of diagnosis by up to five years in the short term, and by even more in the future.
Dr George Stothart, of the project, said: “There is a great need for faster, more accurate dementia diagnostics so patients can receive treatment earlier and families can better plan for the future, which is why we have developed a strong understanding of Fastball’s EEG. So excited about the potential,” says Co-Leader and Cognitive Neuroscientist at the University of Bath’s Department of Psychology.
“A quick, easy-to-administer memory test like Fastball could transform the diagnostic process for patients. As we introduce new treatments into clinical practice, we need to improve our ability to diagnose Alzheimer’s earlier and avoid language barriers … Fastball offers an opportunity to equitably improve Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis,” added Dr Liz Coulthard, Associate Professor of Dementia Neurology at the University of Bristol.
The scientists testing the device have been awarded £1.5m funding from the National Institute of Health and Care Research.
