A new test known as ‘Fastball’ could help detect Alzheimer's and dementia earlier than current methods.
The Fastball test is being developed by researchers at the Universities of Bath and Bristol, using £1.5m of funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
The test, which is still in development, measures brain waves when a person recognises an image.
The test uses electroencephalography to measure the brain waves as a person watches a series of flashing images – the researchers have found that the brain waves of people with Alzheimer's disease change in a specific way when they recognise an image.
This new test could improve early detection of dementia and Alzheimer's disease 🧠
— University of Bristol (@BristolUni) July 14, 2023
The Fastball test is a simple but revolutionary test being developed by the universities of Bristol and Bath
Dr @LizCoulthard explains how it works 👇
Read more ➡️ https://t.co/27hsrVaWUC pic.twitter.com/VBsVPlhPQ1
Fastball is especially convenient as, because it is portable and completely passive, patients can carry out the test anywhere and they do not need to understand the idea behind the task.
“Patients can wait a long time for diagnosis and some of our current tests can be inaccurate and sometimes stressful for them,” said Dr Liz Coulthard, who is an associate professor in dementia neurology at the University of Bristol as well as a neurologist at North Bristol NHS Trust.
“A quick, easy-to-administer memory test, like Fastball, could transform a patient’s journey to diagnosis.”
Over a course of five years, the project will evaluate the efficacy of fastball on more than 1,000 patients at a dementia clinic in Bristol, while two GP surgeries will also get to pilot the innovation.
The NHS will further work with economists to work out how much it could save the health service in the future.
“As we adopt new treatments into clinical practice, we will need to scale-up our ability to diagnose people at an early stage of Alzheimer’s and avoid language barriers,” added Dr Coulthard.
“Fastball offers the opportunity to improve Alzheimer’s diagnosis equitably.”
With some cases being diagnosed up to 20 years after the disease’s onset, researchers hope the test will support earlier and more accurate ways of diagnosing dementia so patients can have the best future possible.
Image credit: iStock
