At the recent Longevity Summit Dublin, MYndspan, a British brain health tech company, presented a groundbreaking study utilizing magnetoencephalography (MEG) to predict brain aging trajectories throughout adulthood. This innovative approach offers a unique perspective on healthy brain aging.
Unlike traditional neuroimaging methods such as fMRI and EEG, MEG provides superior temporal and spatial resolution, enabling MYndspan to capture detailed neural oscillations or brain waves. By analyzing these data, the company can gain insights into brain function, development, and aging.
The study, involving 367 participants aged 18 to 83, utilized MYndspan’s proprietary MEG analysis to map brain aging patterns. The research identified specific neurophysiological markers associated with accelerated brain aging due to injury or disease, while also revealing consistent features of healthy aging across different age groups.
Key findings from the study include the observation that low-frequency amplitudes decrease while high-frequency amplitudes increase over the adult lifespan. These changes in oscillatory activity and functional brain networks, as measured by resting-state MEG, underscore the significant age-related transformations in brain activity.
The study emphasizes the importance of cortical oscillations as reliable markers for predictive brain age modeling, suggesting the need for tailored approaches based on age brackets to ensure accurate assessments.
Caitlin Baltzer, CEO of MYndspan, highlighted the significance of the study, stating, “MEG can now be utilized commercially to identify brain aging through our analysis, enabling early detection of deviations from healthy aging patterns in a simple and non-invasive manner, which can easily be incorporated into routine health assessments.”
While MEG technology has traditionally been limited to research and clinical environments, MYndspan is pioneering its direct application to consumers. The company currently offers brain scans at its Birmingham brain health center and plans to expand to other locations in the UK and North America within the next 18 months.
This initiative aims to make advanced brain health assessments more accessible to a wider audience, promoting proactive brain health management and supporting preventive measures for optimal brain function.
