Brain Activity Imbalance Biomarker For Dementia

Technology Description

UNMET NEED: Current structural biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases, such as hippocampal atrophy or amyloid burden, provide limited insights into treatment responsiveness and cognitive function. There is a need for dynamic, functional biomarkers that can monitor cognitive improvement and assess neuroanatomical changes during treatment.

TECHNOLOGY: UCSF scientists developed a novel biomarker for detecting brain activity imbalances that correlate with clinical dementia severity. Using machine learning and mathematical modeling, this biomarker was derived from a comprehensive database of functional and structural MRI brain scans from patients with Alzheimer’s disease and Frontotemporal dementia.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:

• Dynamic biomarker that reflects treatment responsiveness, unlike structural biomarkers that primarily indicate disease progression.
• Correlates with cognitive impairment across multiple neurodegenerative diseases, providing broad applicability.
• Supports clinical trials by enabling patient enrichment and tracking cognitive improvement with neuroanatomical evidence.
• Flexible implementation as a service or software product for pharmaceutical companies and radiology centers.

DEVELOPMENT STAGE: The technology is currently in the proof-of-concept stage.

Patent Status

Patent Pending