A New Frontier in Brain-Based Diagnosis

Seeing What the Eyes Can't Tell You: Early Detection of MCI Due to Alzheimer's

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a critical warning sign—a gray area between normal aging and the onset of dementia. Individuals with MCI may experience subtle memory lapses, language difficulties, or impaired judgment. These early signs are often noticeable to loved ones, but not severe enough to disrupt daily life. Still, MCI can be a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease, and detecting it early is essential for timely care, treatment, and planning.

Until now, there has been no widely available clinical tool to objectively identify MCI due to Alzheimer’s disease. BIOPAC is changing that.

Introducing FVEP-P2: A New Frontier in Brain-Based Diagnosis

BIOPAC has developed a breakthrough approach based on Flash Visual Evoked Potential P2 (FVEP-P2)—a neurodiagnostic signal linked to the brain’s cholinergic system, which is progressively destroyed in Alzheimer’s dementia. The FVEP-P2 offers a non-invasive, objective biomarker for the early detection of cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s.

Here’s how it works:

• The test uses a simple visual stimulus: strobe light flashes delivered through a specialized pair of LED goggles while the participant sits relaxed with eyes closed.

• A single EEG channel records brain activity from the occipital lobe.

• BIOPAC’s system captures and averages the brain’s time-locked responses to repeated flashes—an electrical signal known as the FVEP-P2, which typically appears 100–300 milliseconds after each flash.

• Changes in the amplitude and latency of this signal reflect impaired acetylcholine pathways—a hallmark of Alzheimer’s-related MCI.

This novel test has the potential to offer clinicians a fast, low-cost, and scalable tool for detecting early cognitive decline before symptoms become disabling.

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The FVEP-P2 method was pioneered by Dr. James Arruda at the University of West Florida. BIOPAC has licensed the intellectual property from the University of West Florida to commercialize this technology as a medical device. Our goal is clear: provide physicians with an evidence-based, neurophysiology-driven system to identify MCI due to Alzheimer’s—with the accuracy and simplicity needed for real-world clinical use.