Brainwaves indicate the presence and severity of Alzheimer's

Comparison of the EEGs of 27 healthy older adults, 27 individuals with mild Alzheimer's and 22 individuals with moderate cases of Alzheimer’s, has found statistically significant differences across the three groups, using an algorithm that dissects brain waves of varying frequencies.

In particular, delta modulation of the beta frequency band reliably discriminated between healthy controls and mild Alzheimer’s, and disappeared with an increase in disease severity (from mild to moderate). Increase in disease severity was also marked by the appearance of delta modulation of the theta band.

It’s hoped that the algorithm can be used not only to help detect Alzheimer’s disease early, but also to monitor its progression. The algorithm has been shared on the NeuroAccelerator.org online data analysis portal, to enable it to be used by researchers around the world.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-08/i-tae082913.php

[3572] Fraga, F. J., Falk T. H., Kanda P. A. M., & Anghinah R.
(2013).  Characterizing Alzheimer’s Disease Severity via Resting-Awake EEG Amplitude Modulation Analysis.
PLoS ONE. 8(8), 

Related News

A study involving mice lacking a master clock gene called Bmal1 has found that as the mice aged, their brains showed patterns of damage similar to those seen in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Many of the injuries seemed to be caused by free radicals.

A new study involving 96 older adults initially free of dementia at the time of enrollment, of whom 12 subsequently developed mild Alzheimer’s, has clarified three fundamental issues about Alzheimer's: where it starts, why it starts there, and how it spreads.

Analysis of 5715 cases from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) database has found that nearly 80% of more than 4600 Alzheimer's disease patients showed some degree of vascular pathology, compared with 67% of the controls, and 66% in the Parkinson's group.

The jugular venous reflux (JVR) occurs when the pressure gradient reverses the direction of blood flow in the veins, causing blood to leak backwards into the brain.

The

Following on from the evidence that Alzheimer’s brains show higher levels of metals such as iron, copper, and zinc, a mouse study has found that amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s-like brains with significant neurodegeneration have about 25% more copper than those with little neurodegeneration.

An Italian study has found that a significant percentage of Alzheimer’s patients suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome. This respiratory disorder, which causes people to temporarily stop breathing during their sleep, affects cerebral blood flow, promoting cognitive decline.

Data from 70 older adults (average age 76) in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging has found that those who reported poorer sleep (shorter sleep duration and lower sleep quality) showed a greater buildup of amyloid-beta plaques.

A new discovery helps explain why the “Alzheimer’s gene” ApoE4 is such a risk factor.

Analyses of cerebrospinal fluid from 15 patients with Alzheimer's disease, 20 patients with mild cognitive impairment, and 21 control subjects, plus brain tis

Pages

Subscribe to Latest newsSubscribe to Latest newsSubscribe to Latest health newsSubscribe to Latest news