I’m excited to share great news from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Washington University in St. Louis, where researchers have made significant strides in the development of a digital biomarker for detecting early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
By utilizing a wearable headband during sleep, this digital biomarker analyzes brainwave patterns and provides crucial insights into the initial phases of Alzheimer’s, which occur long before the appearance of dementia symptoms.
It relies on EEG technology, and it is as simple as wearing a headband. By monitoring brainwave patterns associated with memory reactivation during deep sleep, a critical part of the memory processing system, researchers have made significant strides toward giving us an easy way to monitor our own risk.
The results of this study were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. The study establishes a clear connection between EEG readings and specific molecular changes that indicate pre-symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, the research demonstrates the capacity to detect early stages of mild cognitive impairment resulting from Alzheimer’s disease within the EEG signals.
This research involved an analysis of data from 205 adults, revealing measurable issues with memory reactivation linked to the presence of proteins like amyloid and tau, which accumulate in Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. McConnell emphasized, “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.”
When you can identify a disease before you have symptoms, you can take action to prevent the progression of that disease. That’s why we do so much lab testing to find underlying contributors as early as possible and I’m excited for this super easy wearable device to become available for all of us.
Here’s a short video featuring Dr. McDonnell talking about this new device.
Angela Chapman, M.Ed, FDN-P, is a certified ReCODE practitioner and health educator. If you’re looking for ways to prevent or fight Alzheimer’s, her Sunday email is a great resource for you.