Dementia is a disease that erodes memory and reduces memory and cognitive ability over time. While early detection is important as there is no clear treatment, a simple method to check for signs of dementia was recently introduced. It’s just drawing a clock on paper.
According to the British media Daily Mail, Mexican neurologist Dr. Jesus Ramirez-Bermudez revealed the results of dementia patients drawing clocks and said, “The ‘Clock Drawing Test (CDT)’ is the easiest and cheapest way to check for dementia. “There is a way,” he explained.
The clock drawing test is a psychological assessment tool developed for the early diagnosis of dementia and mild cognitive impairment. It was implemented in 1983 with different implementation methods and scoring criteria. It is known that more than 15 scoring systems exist to date and are used for dementia screening and neuropsychological tests.
The test begins with drawing a round clock shape on a blank piece of paper. Next, write down the numbers 1 to 12 and draw a clock hand pointing to 11:10. The hour and minute hands must be accurately marked at 11 and 10.
In this process, memory and executive ability can be determined based on whether the circle of the clock is drawn accurately, whether the numbers on the clock face are placed in the correct position, whether both clock hands are drawn, and whether the clock hands point to the correct time. . Executive ability is the cognitive function that declines first when dementia appears and refers to the ability to plan, organize, and complete tasks.
Among the various methods of grading a finished watch, Shulman’s widely known scoring method is evaluated from 0 (does not look like a watch) to 5 (looks like a perfect watch). If the clock configuration is incomplete and does not display 11:10 accurately, it is worth 3 points. If there is a small mistake in the clock configuration, but it displays 11:10 accurately, it is worth 4 points.
If you suspect that you are in the early stages of dementia after examining the clock’s circular shape and time expression, it is best to see a specialist and receive an accurate diagnosis. The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) also advises that drawing a clock correctly requires extensive cognitive skills, and that people who draw a clock accurately can ‘virtually rule out’ the risk of dementia.
Meanwhile, for early diagnosis of dementia, it is important to take a close look at one’s daily lifestyle habits. There are many moments in daily life when you may suspect dementia. A representative example is walking speed. Gait shows general health conditions, including dementia. A Boston Hospital study found that middle-aged people with slow walking speeds were 1.5 times more likely to develop dementia.
Even if your grip strength is weak, your risk of dementia may be high. According to the American Academy of Neurology, people who hold hands tightly when shaking hands have a 42% lower risk of developing dementia or stroke. The analysis is that if the cardiovascular system is weak, the limbs become weak, the grip strength when shaking hands decreases, and cognitive function decreases. It is known that people who cannot sleep well are also at high risk of developing dementia because they are unable to enter the deep sleep stage.
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Source: kormedi.com
