Wonderbringers Newsletter with Monica Parker
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Hello Wonderseekers!
Some great news in Alzheimer’s research came out this week!
One of the challenges with Alzheimer's is that it often isn’t diagnosed until quite late. This can be due to a number of factors, but mostly it is human nature. Many of the early warning signs, like misplacing things or forgetting details, can also be the result of lack of sleep or (peri)menopause. Many older people live alone, so those signs may not be noticed by the individual themselves, and even if they are observed by a partner, often the changes are a slow creep, until suddenly the deficits are glaring.
There is a great line in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises where one character asks, “How did you go bankrupt?” and the other responds, “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” It’s apt description of what dementia is like for most people, and that means folks are being diagnosed up to 20 years after the disease has begun.
There are a few different tests currently for Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, but none are great. The first line approach tends to be cognitive and memory tests— lengthy tests that require trained staff to deliver them, and the results are iffy, as they can be confounded by test anxiety or language issues. And when not done properly, their accuracy can drop to below 60%. There are blood tests that look for evidence of amyloid plaques, but these have to be done in a doctor's office and plaque levels that can vary greatly in the early stages of the disease. The other options are for much later stage decline, like brain scans and spinal taps, and these are very involved, expensive, and invasive.
That’s why it’s incredibly exciting that researchers have shown that a simple EEG tool can identify Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI, a precursor to Alzheimer’s) very early. This tool, known as the Fastball EEG, can be self-administered in the home and takes only three minutes.
Participants place a small EEG reader about the size of a sports headband on their head. Then, rather than being asked to solve problems or recall information, they are simply asked to look at and name a group of eight images. After, they are shown a series of hundreds of flashing images, but embedded within the random images are those of the eight previously seen. The EEG measures the recognition response to those original images, which is weaker in people with MCI. This test can be used longitudinally to track cognitive decline over time, and by identifying MCI early, the exciting new drug therapies for Alzheimer’s can be prescribed decades earlier.
This research was funded by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Just a little reminder of the power of government funding for life-changing and life-saving research.
Some wonderbringers for me this week:
A pill to heal the brain: Neurologists are exploring medications that would help the brain recover after a stroke or traumatic injury.
'I was floored by the data': Psilocybin shows anti-aging properties in early study.
New bionic knee is a game-changer for lower leg amputees: Scientists have developed an improved prosthesis that is integrated with muscle and bone.
Looking for a little mood boost? Check out this awesome flash mob singing Bohemian Rhapsody in the streets of Paris!
With wonder,
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