The new tool of it predicts the brain fall years before symptoms appear – how can it help fight dementia

Who needs a Crystal Top when you have artificial intelligence?

Researchers in Mass General Bigram have developed a tool it potentially changing the game, capable of detecting subtle changes in brain wave models that may predict a cognitive decline before the symptoms appear.

“This can completely change how we approach the prevention of dementia,” said Dr. Shahab HaghayEGh, main author of the study and an instructor at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Unlocking brainwave secrets

The tool operates its magic by analyzing the activity of the brain wave recorded during sleep using an electroencephalography (EEG)-a non-invasive technique that tracks electrical activity in the brain through the head sensors.

The vehicle was developed using data from a special test for the risk of fracture, where women aged 65 and older took cognitive tests about the same time when they participated in a sleeping study that included an EEG at night.

Haghayegh and his team were honored in 281 participants who had normal cognitive function at the time of initial sleep study, then repeated the same cognitive tests five years later. From the second round of estimates, 96 of the women had developed cognitive impairment.

Researchers applied advanced information theory techniques to extract brainwave models from EEG data collected during sleep study. They then used to detect subtle changes in brain wave activity – especially in gamma band frequencies during deep sleep – among individuals who later developed cognitive damage, even before symptoms appeared.

The vehicle recorded 85% of individuals who eventually suffered cognitive decline, with a total accuracy of 77%.

“Using sophisticated new analyzes, advanced tools of information theory and he, we can detect subtle changes in brain wave patterns that signal future cognitive damage, offering a window of opportunities for intervention years before symptoms appear,” HaghayEGh said.

Promise of early intervention

A small cognitive decline is equal to the course while we grow old, with most people experiencing slower processing speeds, memory errors and many tasks over time. But when it starts to interfere with everyday life, it can be a red flag that something more serious can be in the game.

Research suggests that one in 10 adults in the US aged 65 and older are dementia, while 22% have a mild cognitive impairment. Experts predict that these numbers will increase significantly in the coming years, largely driven by longer life expectations and an aging population.

Thanks to the tool he, early discovery can give people valuable time to make lifestyle changes – such as exercise, active mental attitude and eating a balanced diet – that can help maintain cognitive health before the effects of damage are established.

Early identification can also open the door to therapy and medicines that slow down the progression of the disease or relieve symptoms.

“New treatments, approved by the FDA for Alzheimer’s disease are effective in the early stages of dementia, but not the most advanced stages,” said Dr. Kun Hu, senior author and physiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

“The interventions that take place even earlier – before someone shows signs of cognitive fall – are likely to be even more effective,” Hu added.

Research also paves the way for a new exciting option: manipulating brain electrical activity to reduce the risk of cognitive decline.

Haghayegh and Hu are currently designing a clinical study to prove whether electrical stimulation can change EEG models during sleep.