Top neurologist reveals simple tick test that spots early signs of dementia
Are you worried that your memory isn’t what it used to be?
A simple five-minute task that tests how well you can draw an analog clock can reveal whether you have an early sign of memory loss.
According to Dr. Jesus Ramirez-Bermudez, a Mexican neurologist who studies cognitive decline, the clock drawing test is an effective method to identify dementia.
Share an image of the test for XDr Ramirez-Bermudez described it as ‘one of the easiest and cheapest ways’ to identify patients with neurological diseases including dementia – which affects around 944,000 people in Britain.
The test simply asks someone to draw a clock face on a blank sheet of paper.
They must add all the numbers from one to 12 and then set the hands to a specific time, for example 11.10 (ten past 11).
The task relies on the patient remembering what a clock face looks like – a skill known as executive function, which involves the way we plan, organize and complete tasks.
Executive function is one of the cognitive skills that first begins to falter when dementia develops.
A crooked circle and incorrectly placed numbers on this clock, which has been used by the NHS for decades, can indicate early illness.
The test is scored on a point-to-point basis, with one point awarded for each of the following criteria: how well the participant drew the clock circle, drew the numbers in the correct places, drew two hands on the clock and the hands pointing to pointed out the correct time.
If the patient manages to draw a clock correctly, this ‘virtually rules out’ dementia as the task requires a wide range of cognitive skills, the NHS says.
The UK Dementia Directory urges people to encourage relatives and friends to take the quick and easy test if you suspect they may be suffering from memory loss.
If they have difficulty drawing the clock correctly, they should seek further advice from a GP.
Recent analysis by the Alzheimer’s Society estimates that the total annual cost of dementia to Britain is £42 billion per year, with families bearing the brunt.
An aging population means these costs – including the lost income of unpaid caregivers – are expected to rise to £90 billion over the next fifteen years.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting 982,000 people in Britain.
Around 900,000 Britons are currently thought to suffer from memory theft disorder. But scientists at University College London estimate that this number will rise to 1.7 million within 20 years as people live longer. It represents an increase of 40 percent compared to the previous forecast in 2017
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. The disease can cause anxiety, confusion and short-term memory loss
It is thought to be caused by a buildup of amyloid and tau in the brain, which clump together, and by plaques and tangles that make it harder for the brain to work properly.
Eventually, the brain struggles to cope with this damage and dementia symptoms develop.
Memory problems, thinking and reasoning problems, and language problems are common early symptoms of the condition, which then worsen over time.
An analysis by Alzheimer’s Research UK found that 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022, up from 69,178 a year earlier, making it the country’s biggest killer.
Experts have previously discussed various tests that can be used to detect early signs of dementia.
One test, developed by a University of Cambridge spin-off company called Cognetivity Neurosciences, shows patients a series of images with an animal or no animal and participants are asked to respond quickly by pressing ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
Another 10-minute test, created in 1996, called the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) asks patients to draw shapes, name animals and recall a list of items.
