Improving the accuracy and reducing the time needed to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease could allow more timely interventions and cost reduction. Even in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, transmission of signals between neurons in the brain is disrupted. This study examined whether these disruptions would reduce a person’s ability to perform certain tasks and whether the breakdown in transmission could be detected using EEG (brainwave measurement) technology. The EEG patterns of Alzheimer’s patients and healthy individuals while completing various tasks were compared. One particular task – drawing a 3-D cube – and EEG pattern differences while performing this task could help distinguish between Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia and memory loss.
Contestants
Crystal Kelly Radinski
Biology
Country
Canada