Headband detects early signs of Alzheimer's disease in dreams
Researchers have found a way to assess brain activity during sleep, which is characteristic of the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease.Researchers from the University of Colorado and Washington University in St. Louis have developed a lightweight wearable armband to record electroencephalography (EEG) in sleep. The device detects patterns characteristic of the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, long before symptoms of dementia appear.
The digital device uses EEG to detect brainwave signals associated with memory reactivation in sleep. This is part of the system that processes memories in the deep phase. Researchers have established a link between EEG readings and levels of specific molecular changes indicative of the pre-symptomatic phase of Alzheimer's disease.
In the study, scientists analyzed data from 205 older adults and found measurable problems with memory reactivation due to levels of proteins such as amyloid and tau that accumulate in Alzheimer's disease.
"We found that abnormal protein levels were associated with memory reactivation in sleep, which we could identify in people's brainwave patterns before they experienced any symptoms," Bryce McConnell, co-author of the study.
Brain waves during sleep could be turned into a digital biomarker, the researchers note. They will continue to work on developing a scalable and affordable "brain fitness tracker" for early diagnosis and prevention of Alzheimer's disease.