A team of researchers from Rutgers University-Newark has developed video game-based tests for early detection of Alzheimer's disease, which could revolutionize the diagnosis of the disease long before traditional symptoms appear.
These tests, which complement modern blood tests for detecting disease biomarkers, have the advantage of being painless and requiring neither blood samples nor direct medical intervention. This makes them more cost-effective for both doctors and patients.
The study is part of the Aging and Brain Health Partnership at Rutgers University-Newark, a research center focused on the impact of lifestyle and genes in delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease. According to neuroscientist Mark Gluck, director of the lab, this discovery could mark a turning point in pharmaceutical research, as it would allow for the selection of clinical trial participants in the early stages of the disease.
Gluck said: "We now know that changes in the brain begin 10 to 15 years before any obvious cognitive decline appears, and this test could help detect the disease at an early stage."
Over the past two decades, the research team has been developing computerized video game tests to identify early signs of cognitive decline. Now, they have new evidence confirming their effectiveness.
The goal of these tests is to make them accessible in medical offices or online, which would allow patients who have difficulty accessing medical care to benefit from these tools.
One of these tests is called the "generalization task," which measures a person's ability to infer rules about colors and shapes and apply them to new examples. The team also developed another test using MRI to detect decreased brain flexibility, an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease.
The study included 148 African-American participants, all with no prior cognitive decline. Participants underwent comprehensive cognitive testing, as well as blood tests and MRIs, allowing researchers to spot early signs of the disease.
Lead researcher Mirai Budak said: "What's exciting is that we can detect early signs of the disease even before any noticeable cognitive problems appear."
Gluck added that traditional cognitive tests, such as drawing a clock or memorizing a list of words, only detect the disease in its later stages. Moreover, these tests require minimal education and cultural knowledge, which can make them inaccurate for patients from different cultural backgrounds. In contrast, the Rutgers tests are based solely on shapes and colors, making them accessible to everyone, regardless of their education level or language.
Although there is currently no definitive cure for Alzheimer's disease, early diagnosis and prompt intervention can slow its progression.
It's worth noting that the African-American community is twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease as other ethnic groups, yet it is underrepresented in national research on aging. However, the researchers emphasized that the study's findings are applicable to all ethnic populations.
The study was published in the journal Alzheimer's Research & Therapy.
