Neurophysiologists have found a biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease

As explained by Stephanie Jones, Professor of neuroscience and one of the leaders of the study, this discovery makes it possible for the first time to noninvasively observe markers of disease progression directly in the brain, and not just through blood or cerebrospinal fluid tests.

The work was published in the journal Imaging Neuroscience and is based on the observation of 85 patients diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. Scientists have been monitoring their condition for several years and analyzing brain activity using magnetoencephalography (MEG), a method that captures the electrical signals of neurons while patients are at rest with their eyes closed.

Usually, such signals are averaged, which makes it difficult to understand the processes at the level of individual neurons. However, Jones’ team used its own development, the Spectral Events Toolbox, which allows you to expand brain activity to individual episodes: you can see exactly when the bursts of activity occur, how long they last, and how intense they are.

The key interest of the researchers was aroused by signals in the beta frequency range, which are associated with memory processing, one of the first functions disrupted in Alzheimer’s disease. In people who subsequently developed dementia, 2.5 years before the diagnosis, these signals were less frequent, shorter and weaker in power than in those who remained in stable condition.

As noted by the first author of the study, Danilina Shpakivska, this is the first time that beta activity is considered as a potential harbinger of Alzheimer’s disease. Unlike markers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid, this method shows exactly how neurons respond to toxic proteins associated with the disease.

According to the researchers, the new discovery may provide doctors with a tool for early diagnosis, as well as for evaluating the effectiveness of therapy. The next step of the team is to use neuromodeling to understand why beta signal generation is disrupted in the brain and to test possible ways to restore it.

Professor Jones emphasizes: As soon as the discovery is confirmed by other studies, Spectral Events Toolbox will be able to enter the arsenal of practical diagnostics, giving the opportunity to intervene before the disease goes too far.