Fast-Periodic-Visual-Stimulation – assessing memory in Alzheimer’s
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Fast-Periodic-Visual-Stimulation – a new technique for assessing memory in Alzheimer’s disease
IRAS ID
242162
Contact name
George Stothart
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bath
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Early diagnosis tools are greatly needed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research, with current tools unable to detect the early stages of the disease. Recently new technologies have emerged allowing us to measure brain function easily, cheaply and more accurately than before. \n\nElectroencephalography (EEG) measures brain activity in real time, and EEG headsets have recently become cheap, portable and wireless. At the same time new methods for measuring brain function with EEG have emerged that have significant potential for use in early diagnosis. \n\nThe method we wish to use involves showing a participant some images to remember and then presenting the images to them at a very fast rate mixed up amongst images they have not seen. The rate is slow enough so that you can recognise the images, but too fast to name them or press a button in response to them. Using the EEG headsets we can identify rhythms in the brain waves that reflect whether the participant remembers the images or not. \n\nThe great advantage of this technique is that it has been demonstrated to be reliable at the single subject level and after only 1 minute of EEG recording. This gives the technique significant potential as a clinical tool, and stands it apart from previous EEG approaches which have all required long recording times and averaging data across many participants.\n\nThe proposed project is to extensively pilot and refine this technique with healthy younger and older adults, and AD patients. This pilot data will provide the proof-of-concept for an MRC New Investigator Research Grant application in 2018 to extend the technique to the assessment of early memory deficits in mild and subjective cognitive impairment. I.e. using the technique to identify who with MCI or SCI are likely to convert to AD. \n
REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/SW/0111
Date of REC Opinion
1 Jun 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion