Three-minute brainwave test could identify Alzheimer’s risk years before diagnosis

A promising new brainwave test known as Fastball may revolutionise early detection of Alzheimer’s disease by identifying memory impairments years ahead of traditional clinical diagnosis — within just three minutes.

Developed by researchers at the University of Bath in collaboration with the University of Bristol, the Fastball test employs a passive EEG (electroencephalogram) approach: small scalp sensors record brain activity as participants view a rapid sequence of images on a screen, including images they’d seen previously, without actively trying to remember them. This setup captures automatic brain responses to familiar images, helping to detect subtle memory deficits, The Guardian reported.

In a trial involving 106 participants — 54 healthy older adults and 52 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) — researchers found that those with amnestic MCI (a form that primarily affects memory and is a significant risk factor for Alzheimer’s) showed noticeably reduced EEG responses compared to healthy individuals and those with non-amnestic MCI.

Crucially, the study demonstrated that the test could be administered reliably in participants’ homes, offering a more accessible, anxiety-free alternative to conventional clinical settings. It also showed moderate to good test-retest reliability, reinforcing its consistency over time.

While the Fastball test cannot definitively diagnose Alzheimer’s, early identification of at-risk individuals could facilitate timely intervention with newer disease-modifying therapies such as donanemab and lecanemab, which have shown greater effectiveness in early-stage treatment.

Experts caution that further validation is needed. Prof Vladimir Litvak of UCL’s Queen Square Institute of Neurology described Fastball as “an early step towards developing a clinically useful test,” but emphasised that larger, long-term studies are needed to confirm its ability to predict individual disease progression and inform treatment decisions.

Similarly, Dr Julia Dudley of Alzheimer’s Research UK praised the innovation as encouraging but highlighted the need for broader studies that include diverse populations and explore how Fastball could integrate with traditional tools like blood tests and cognitive assessments, The Guardian reported.

Supported by £1.5 million in UK government funding, a larger trial is underway involving 1,000 patients to evaluate the feasibility of deploying Fastball in broader, potentially mass-screening contexts. Researchers envision it being used not only at home but also in GP surgeries and memory clinics, potentially reducing the average age at diagnosis significantly.

The findings have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Brain Communications, with data confirming the test’s sensitivity in detecting memory decline in early-stage MCI and its feasibility in non-clinical settings.