Device Identifies Early Indicators of Alzheimer’s Disease Through Sleep Monitoring

Scientists have engineered a digital signpost utilizing EEG headbands to recognize the early cerebral activities tied to Alzheimer’s prior to its symptoms. The research illustrates a link between EEG measurements, molecular transformations, and Alzheimer’s initial stages, inferring that wearable tools could scrutinize cerebral wellness.

CU Anschutz researchers are pioneering the creation of this digital signpost in the largest investigation of its sort. The marker, discerned via a wearable headband donned during the night, can spot preliminary signs of Alzheimer’s disease from brainwave configurations.

Investigative teams from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Washington University in St. Louis have unearthed a technique to assess cerebral activity during sleep, connected to Alzheimer’s nascent stages, often surfacing well before signs of dementia.

This digital signpost deploys EEG technology, documented through basic headband instruments, to discern brain wave configurations related to memory reactivation in deep sleep, an essential component of memory processing.

Recently published findings in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association unveil a connection between EEG assessments and particular molecular modifications symptomatic of Alzheimer’s pre-symptomatic stages. Further revelations also showcase the detection of Alzheimer’s disease’s early stages of mild cognitive impairment in EEG signals.

Researcher Brice McConnell elucidates and exhibits the usage of the wearable tool that his peers explored to pinpoint biomarkers characteristic of dementia’s early indications. Credit: The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Brice McConnell, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and senior author of the study, emphasizes that this digital signpost essentially permits any uncomplicated EEG headband to function as a cerebral health fitness tracker. “This validation of assessing digital signs for disease’s early warning using available and scalable headband instruments at home constitutes a significant progression in identifying and curbing Alzheimer’s disease in its primary stages,” McConnell states.

In the most extensive study of its sort thus far, the examination of data from 205 aging individuals revealed discernible issues with memory reactivation correlated with protein levels such as amyloid and tau that accumulate in Alzheimer’s Disease.

McConnell explains the discovery that these anomalous protein concentrations are connected to sleep memory reactivations, identifiable in individuals’ brainwave patterns before symptom emergence. “The recognition of these early signs for Alzheimer’s disease in persons without symptoms can aid in devising preventative or containment tactics before the ailment progresses,” he says.

The investigators consider this a thrilling advancement towards employing wearables as digital health indicators for disease identification. McConnell asserts, “We are merely initiating this endeavor, laying a foundation for economical and user-friendly instruments to oversee cerebral wellness. This attests that brain waves during sleep can be transformed into a digital indicator, and our forthcoming actions revolve around refining the procedure.”

Reference: “Mapping sleep’s oscillatory events as a biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease” by Rachelle L. Pulver, Eugene Kronberg, Lindsey M. Medenblik, Vitaly O. Kheyfets, Alberto R. Ramos, David M. Holtzman, John C. Morris, Cristina D. Toedebusch, Stefan H. Sillau, Brianne M. Bettcher, Brendan P. Lucey, and Brice V. McConnell, 23 August 2023, Alzheimer’s & Dementia. DOI: 10.1002/alz.13420.

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