Overview

• The Bath–Bristol team reported in Brain Communications that patients with amnestic MCI showed significantly reduced Fastball responses versus healthy peers and those with non‑amnestic MCI.
• All assessments were completed in participants’ homes, and a one‑year retest showed moderate‑to‑good reliability in healthy older adults.
• Researchers describe Fastball as a screening aid rather than a standalone diagnosis, noting results would need confirmation from biomarker tests or brain imaging.
• Two 1,000‑participant validation studies in the UK and US that include biomarker coverage are in progress and expected to conclude in 2027.
• If validated, the low‑cost, clinician‑facing tool could be used in GP surgeries, memory clinics or at home to help identify people for earlier follow‑up and treatment.