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UMD students build headset, computer software to diagnose Alzheimer's

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Alzheimer's disease impacts the lives of many Americans, and a group of sophomores at the University of Maryland is hoping to help. 

The students won $20 thousand in a national competition for developing low-cost tools that can help diagnose the disease. They created a headset and computer software that can identify brain-wave patterns associated with the disease.

They say it's more affordable than an MRI, and could help with diagnosing the disease earlier.

The students say that Alzheimer's diagnostics usually occur two years after the symptoms are presented to a doctor. By that point the disease is already moving from the early to middle stages. Their technology could help avoid that.

The team is now using the cash prize to build more headsets.