Brain Signal Detected Years Before Alzheimer’s Onset Offers New Early Warning

A hidden signal in the brain’s electrical chatter may predict Alzheimer’s disease years before symptoms appear, offering a potential breakthrough in early detection.

Scientists at Brown University and Complutense University of Madrid identified a brain activity pattern in 85 people with mild cognitive impairment that predicts Alzheimer’s progression within 2.5 years.

The method uses magnetoencephalography (MEG) combined with the Spectral Events Toolbox to detect beta frequency band changes (12–30 Hz) in neuronal electrical signals.

Stephanie Jones said:

"Being able to noninvasively observe a new early marker of Alzheimer's disease progression in the brain for the first time is a very exciting step."

Danylyna Shpakivska said:

"Two and a half years prior to their Alzheimer's disease diagnosis, patients were producing beta events at a lower rate, shorter in duration and at a weaker power."

The study, published in Imaging Neuroscience, notes that traditional biomarkers (e.g., amyloid plaques in spinal fluid) do not directly measure neuronal function.

The Spectral Events Toolbox has been cited in over 300 academic studies but remains in early clinical validation.

The research team plans to use computational modeling to understand the biological mechanisms behind the signal and test potential therapeutics.

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