Do you feel worried about your memory? Or do you think that a loved one’s memory is declining? To determine if you should go to a healthcare professional, an American neurologist, Dr. Bai Bing Chen (known on social media as Dr. Bing) shared on TikTok 5 simple tests that could be used to evaluate you. These do not give a precise diagnosis, of course, but can highlight early signs of decline, and you decide to take go to a professional. Because the sooner the signs are taken care of, the more you can slow down the progression of dementia. Here are 5 tests that can reveal whether certain parts of the brain are working as they should.
Stand on one leg
The first test consists of a simple exercise of standing on one leg. The patient should try to stay in this position for 30 seconds to check their balance and motor coordination.
“For people with two legs and no mobility problems, difficulty standing on one leg for at least 30 seconds was associated with a higher risk of dementia and stroke.” underlines Dr. Bing. “This is because it may reflect subtle deficits in areas of the brain that control your balance and motor skills.”
According to Alzheimer’s UK, dementia can indeed affect a person’s mobility, particularly in its advanced stages. The association explains that this disease can lead to a progressive loss of the ability to walk and stand up. It can also lead to falls and balance problems.
An olfactory test
The second test listed by Dr. Bing is a smell test in which the participant is asked to identify a series of smells, simply because early dementia can affect the smell center of your brain.
“Problems identifying odors may indicate neurodegeneration such as in people with Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease” he says.
A 2017 study revealed that people aged 57 to 85 in good cognitive health who have difficulty detecting odors are more likely to develop dementia five years later.
Draw a clock
The next test proposed by Dr. Bing is the clock drawing test that we had already described at True Medical. This tool, used in some clinics, simply involves asking someone to draw a clock face on a blank sheet of paper. They must place all the numbers from 1 to 12 there, then set the hands to a specific time, for example 11:10. The task involves the patient remembering what a clock face looks like – a skill known as executive function, which involves how we plan, organize and complete tasks.
“If a person has difficulties with spatial organization, attention and planning, like people with Alzheimer’s disease, this task can be very difficult” explains the doctor.
A tilted circle and misplaced numbers on this clock could indicate early signs of illness. On the other hand, if the patient can correctly draw a clock, this virtually rules out dementia, because the task requires a wide range of cognitive skills.
Try dual-task walking
Dr. Bing also suggests his patients take a “dual-task walking test.” This test requires the participant to walk while completing a cognitive task, such as counting backwards. “Difficulties in this regard may indicate problems with executive function, memory or attention”he said. Executive function includes the ability to solve problems and set goals. Problems concentrating, recalling recent events, and planning are all common symptoms of dementia.
Make lists orally
The final test listed by Dr. Bing is a verbal fluency test. To do this, participants are asked to list as many items as possible in a certain category. For example, the number of animals a person can name in one minute.
“Difficulty remembering words in a given amount of time may indicate decline in certain brain regions, such as those affected by Alzheimer’s disease or frontotemporal dementia”he explains.
If a person’s temporal lobes are damaged, as occurs in Alzheimer’s disease or frontotemporal dementia, it may be more difficult for people to understand the meaning of words or have trouble remembering words.
Name the disease as soon as possible
Remember that Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, affects around 1 million people in France (8% of French people over 65) and around 225,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. We are all affected in one way or another by the disease. Far from scaring people with bad news, carrying out these tests would make it possible to detect possibly alarming memory loss and take care of it as soon as possible.