Brain HealthWaking Brain Waves May Detect Alzheimer's Pathology Years Before Symptoms
Researchers discovered that unusual brain waves normally seen only during sleep can be detected in awake, cognitively normal older adults — and these 'wake slow waves' appear to signal early Alzheimer's pathology. In a study of 274 adults with subjective cognitive complaints, those with amyloid plaques or neurodegeneration showed distinct wake slow wave patterns on EEG compared to those with no pathology. Most strikingly, the amplitude of these waves predicted which individuals would go on to accumulate amyloid over the next two years, even before any memory problems appeared. This suggests a simple, non-invasive brain recording could serve as an early screening tool for Alzheimer's risk, potentially replacing or complementing costly PET scans in identifying who is on a trajectory toward disease.
