UWF professor receives U.S. patent for early Alzheimer’s detection technology – The Voyager

Source Domain: uwfvoyager.com

Pensacola, Fla. – May 14, 2026 – Dr. James Arruda, professor of psychology at the University of West Florida, has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for an electroencephalographic, or EEG, platform capable of detecting mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s dementia, a milestone that brings a non-invasive, accessible early-detection tool one step closer to clinical use.

The allowed patent covers the Flash Visual Evoked Potential-P2, or FVEP-P2, platform, which Arruda developed and refined over the course of his research career. The technology measures the speed at which the brain responds to brief flashes of light, a response that is selectively delayed in patients with the type of mild cognitive impairment that often precedes Alzheimer’s disease. This neurophysiological marker may allow clinicians to detect abnormalities years before cognitive symptoms appear. Unlike diagnostic approaches such as positron emission tomography, or PET, imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis, the EEG-based platform uses widely available clinical equipment and offers a non-invasive, lower-cost alternative for identifying patients who may be at risk.

“This Notice of Allowance brings us closer to giving clinicians a tool that is less expensive, more accessible and less invasive than the current standard for early Alzheimer’s detection,” Arruda said.

Alzheimer’s disease is typically diagnosed after symptoms are already present, limiting the effectiveness of available treatments. With the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the first disease-modifying therapies for early Alzheimer’s disease, the need for accessible tools that can identify patients earlier in the disease process has become increasingly urgent. Arruda’s newly patented platform offers a non-invasive, cost-effective method to enable earlier detection and intervention, potentially slowing disease progression and improving…

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