Mitchell Goldsworthy

The early detection of patients with Alzheimer's disease is key to more effective early intervention. Current biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease are typically expensive with limited widespread applicability, and are not suited for detecting the subtle changes in brain function that may occur during the initial stages of the disease. There is increasing evidence in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease that subtle changes in synaptic function occur at an early stage of disease progression, affecting the connections between neurons and influencing their capacity to adapt to behavioural and environmental changes. This capacity for neuronal adaptation (a process broadly defined as neuroplasticity) is an important factor mediating learning and memory, and its disruption may be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease pathology. 

Recent advances in the combined use of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques and electroencephalography (a non-invasive method for assessing the electrical activity of the brain) have enabled researchers to assess neuronal connectivity and neuroplasticity within brain regions affected early during the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, this research will investigate whether this highly novel and relatively inexpensive approach might be useful for detecting markers of early brain dysfunction and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease patients.

Dr Goldsworthy is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide’s Robinson Institute.