The most painful part of growing up is seeing your elderly parents gradually succumb to signs of ageing and degeneration. But timely diagnosis can make all the difference. In a recent YouTube video, Dr Eric Berg DC shared a simple test that can be used as an early dementia screening tool. According to him, all it requires is a pen, paper and a timer. The task? Ask the person to draw a clock that shows 10 minutes past 11 o'clock within 30 seconds. It may sound simple, but how they perform reveals key insights.
There are six parameters to evaluate the drawing. Matching all six means they have passed the test. These subtle indicators can reveal early cognitive deficits that might point to dementia:
Did they jumble the numbers?
Did they include all 12 numbers?
Were the numbers spaced evenly?
Were the clock hands pointing in the correct direction?
Were the hour and minute hands drawn at the appropriate lengths?
Were they able to complete the task within 30 seconds?
Credit: Canva
According to Dr Berg, this basic clock-drawing exercise is “one of the most sensitive indicators for early cognitive deficits.” He also points out that many neurologists believe it may even be more accurate than traditional memory tests.
Dementia typically progresses through three stages. The early stage comes with mild symptoms like trouble finding the right words or misplacing things. The middle stage brings increased confusion, personality changes and difficulty completing everyday tasks. The late stage can be severe, leading to loss of speech, mobility and awareness.
One of the trickiest parts of dementia is that it doesn’t look the same in everyone. While some progress slowly, others can deteriorate rapidly. What remains constant, however, is the need for timely support, care—and awareness.
