EEG ‘Fastball’ Shows Promise for Spotting Early Memory Loss in Alzheimer’s

A simple EEG scan can reveal hidden memory problems in just three minutes, giving doctors a powerful new tool to detect dementia earlier and more accurately. A recent paper in Brain Communications presents Fastball, a new electroencephalography (EEG) method that aims to measure recognition memory and diagnose mild cognitive impairment, an interim stage between normal cognition and dementia that is often an early manifestation of AD. Up to 75% of dementia is caused by AD, indicating the urgent need for better and earlier diagnostic tools. These would facilitate earlier treatment and enable patients to make proper arrangements for future care once the disease progresses.