(UPDATED March 25, 2015 at 5:36 pm CT) — TYLER (KYTX)- Dr. Benjamin Tseng from the the Department of Health and Kinesiology at University of Texas at Tyler is testing out a one-of-a-kind experiment to advance Alzheimer’s Disease research.

With the Alzheimer’s being the only disease that cannot be cured, prevented, or slowed down, he said learning if you are at risk is most important.

“I think early detection is very important otherwise you wouldn’t know whom to give these drugs to,” said Tseng.

To conduct his research, Dr. Tseng uses simple household items: cones, a stopwatch, a yardstick, tape, and a go-pro or camera.”These are very inexpensive ways and feasible ways for us to do our protocol,” he said.

Dr. Tseng’s patients are timed and recorded while they walk normally and then timed again while performing cognitive brain activities– things like subtracting backwards by 7, or listing a few words in alphabetical order.

“I decided to use a non-pharmacological approach to look at intervention or early predictors,” said Tseng. “It’s primarily because currently available drugs have limited efficacy… not to mention side effects such as brain swelling.”

Instead he says he chose gait (or walking) speed because walking takes more brain effort as you age. Pair that with saying a list of numbers backwards…that takes even more brain power.

But the key is in timing, recording, and keeping track of the results. If you notice a sharp decline in walking speed over time– that’s your red flag.

According to recently released medicare data, the average cost of an MRI in the U.S. is over $2,500 dollars.

Dr. Tseng’s research may help other doctors decide when it’s necessary to perform costly neuro-imaging scans such as MRI or PET.

And he’s about to make it even easier and more affordable.

“We are in the process of developing a smart device app to allow people to download this for free and do these protocols,” said Tseng. “The idea is that everyone can use this app and start tracking the changes of their family or relatives.”

Dr. Tseng plans to continue his research and is now in the process of applying for grants that will help fund his research on a larger scale.

For more information on the study or to be considered as a participant, click here or email Dr. Tseng at btseng@uttyler.edu.