What's happening Blogs Could an at home dementia diagnosis soon be possible? Published: 21 May 2026 By Nikola Scanlon (Communications and Engagement Lead) at BRACE Dementia Research. At the start of 2026, BRACE Dementia Research was honoured to attend the AMRC Medical Research Charity Showcase, with charity members, MPs, Lords and researchers, to exhibit an early Alzheimer's test, called Fastball: an innovative diagnostic approach. BRACE-funded PhD student, Oliver Hermann and BRACE Interim CEO, Liberty Harrison, exhibited the test kit and a ‘mock test’ at the event. Fastball has been developed at the University of Bath and the University of Bristol for several years with BRACE funding. Why is an early dementia diagnosis important? In England, one in three people living with dementia do not have a diagnosis. Delays in diagnosis can cause worry and distress both to the person living with the condition and to their loved ones, slowing down access to support and medication. In some parts of the UK, waiting times for Memory Clinics – a specialist NHS service which a GP refers a patient with suspected dementia to – can be as long as two years. With the development of the first disease modifying Alzheimer's drugs currently under review for use by the NHS, an early and accurate diagnosis is more important than ever before. How does the test work? Using an EEG cap, which is placed on the participant's head, the test measures the participant's brainwaves while they watch flashing images on a screen. It takes just 2–3 minutes to conduct the test. Fastball measures whether the brain has been able to recognise certain images that have been shown more than once – to indicate whether the short-term memory is working well or is showing early signs of memory changes, which is indicative of Alzheimer's. In the past five years, there have been two significant research breakthroughs: Fastball can reliably detect memory changes up to five years before noticeable symptoms and, crucially, can do so from a home environment. Additionally, the test kit is low-cost to produce, lightweight and portable and could be produced at mass scale. Fastball could revolutionise dementia diagnosis and could even be used alongside the early Alzheimer’s blood tests. How will Fastball have a real-world impact? Current NHS diagnostic methods have many limitations, not least because diagnosis comes years after the condition has begun – silently, with changes so subtle that they often cannot be detected on MRI scans. At the Bristol Brain Centre, the test is currently being investigated for possible NHS use in patients through a large research project. If further research is positive, Fastball could be used in GP surgeries, care homes and community spaces in the same way as a blood pressure test is conducted. Fastball could speed and open up access to a dementia diagnosis for many more people in a cost-effective way. Earlier diagnosis offers the chance to tackle dementia much sooner through research and drug development that could slow down or stop the damage that dementia causes the brain, in a way that has not been previously possible. Manage Cookie Preferences