Unless you’ve been living with your head under a rock for the previous few years, you will have noticed the increasing international focus upon dementia, and with good reason. The phrase ‘neurological time-bomb’ used by the Neurological Alliance in 2012 was not a throw away comment, it really is potentially a massive crisis that we are currently under-prepared to deal with. One of the main reasons is that like many disease states it is gradual and almost imperceptible until it’s too late. The lack of saliency, especially in younger folk, is a major barrier in making any inroads into being able to disarm this time-bomb. So let’s make it salient.
I’m not going to go into detail about what is occurring in the brain, nor the areas and functions that this test is associated with (we can examine this at a later stage), I just want to get you thinking about your current condition. It’ll only take 30 seconds, and you are doing this at your own risk, I’m not responsible for any injuries that may occur.
Make sure you’re in a safe environment not too close to any hazards. Once you’ve read the instructions and understand the test, give it a go.
Take off your shoes and stand as shown in the accompanying picture with your palms facing up. Once you feel stable, close your eyes. Without moving the support foot (the one you’re standing on), time how long you can hold your balance with your eyes completely closed. If you have to open your eyes, hop, drop the unsupported knee from its position, move the foot from the spot, or over balance, that is the time you record.
If you scored 28 seconds or above that is super-optimal, with 20-28 seconds being optimal. 14-20 seconds is sub-optimal, with 8-14 seconds being average (do not read ‘good’). Below 8 seconds is poor.
How did you score? Optimal, average, or poor? If average or poor, and especially if you’re young, maybe it’s time to start asking yourself some questions.
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