The headband that spots the early signs of dementia
- Sensors detect distinctive brain waves caused by an abnormal buildup of proteins
A headband worn while you sleep could spot early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, possibly years before symptoms such as memory loss occur, new research suggests.
Sensors in the headband detect distinctive brain waves produced when there is an abnormal build-up of the proteins amyloid and tau in the brain, which are linked to Alzheimer’s disease, say US neurologists who conducted the study.
“We found abnormal levels of proteins that we were able to identify in people’s brain wave patterns before they experienced any symptoms,” they said.
Seven in ten Britons with dementia have Alzheimer’s disease, which is associated with the formation of amyloid plaques around brain cells (tau forms tangles in brain cells).
As brain cells become more affected, the number of chemical messengers involved in sending signals between brain cells decreases.
A headband worn while you sleep can spot early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, possibly years before symptoms such as memory loss occur (stock photo)
Seven in ten Britons with dementia have Alzheimer’s disease, which is linked to the formation of amyloid plaques around brain cells (stock image)
Over time, the brain shrinks – with the area responsible for memory one of the first to be affected. This process begins many years – up to 18 years, according to some studies – before any noticeable symptoms appear.
The American researchers identified certain brain wave patterns related to the mechanism by which memories are processed and stored in the brain and to the presence of tau and amyloid proteins.
In the study, 205 older people who were healthy or had mild cognitive impairment wore headbands with electrodes for three nights to measure brain wave activity using electroencephalograms (or EEGs – technology used to diagnose conditions such as epilepsy).
The spinal fluid was tested for tau protein: increased concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid are an important feature of Alzheimer’s disease.
The results showed that specific EEG signals during sleep and memory reactivation are associated with the presence of Alzheimer’s disease protein markers in the spinal fluid.
The researchers, whose results were published last month in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia, believe that headbands worn at home could be used to identify these early markers for Alzheimer’s disease in people without symptoms, paving the way for ‘any simple EEG headband device that can be used as a fitness tracker for brain health,” they said. Larger trials are now needed.
Early diagnosis would theoretically allow people to quickly access medications that can slow symptoms.
Two new drugs, lecanemab and donanemab, have recently shown impressive results in slowing the decline of memory in people with early Alzheimer’s disease.
James Rowe, professor of cognitive neurology at the University of Cambridge, said: ‘This headband is one of many devices that try to record changes in our brains years before symptoms appear.
‘It is known that Alzheimer’s disease changes brain waves, and the challenge is how to measure this in a user-friendly way.
‘This study is an encouraging step, but it needs to show that it can predict memory impairment in people without symptoms.
“More research is needed, and it’s not yet a do-it-yourself option.”