Called the Cognition System, the high-tech hairnet is undergoing trials in the US. If these prove successful, the device could be tested in Britain as part of worldwide trials.
The hairnet is made up of tiny sensors, held together by adjustable straps, which are able to pick up patterns of electrical activity linked with onset of brain wasting disease, once they come in contact with the skull.
The technology could mean drugs that slow disease progression could be given to patients much sooner, keeping them in good health for longer, the Daily Mail reports.
Doctors often rely on a memory assessment, or relatives' descriptions of behavioural changes, such as anxiety, irritability or repetitive behaviour.
