Credits: Social Media
New test that can predict dementia 12 years before diagnosis
While lifestyle changes and a healthy diet can contribute to brain health and prevent Alzheimer’s disease, a visual test can predict dementia years before the diagnosis.
Dementia is caused by cognitive deterioration and several factors increase the risk of the disease that affects your ability to function normally. That’s why neuroscientists urge you to avoid foods and habits that hurt the brain.
Visual test can predict dementia
Dementia impairs the ability to think, remember, and make decisions. The condition is not a normal part of aging, so detecting it early can help one manage the symptoms better.
By observing 8,623 healthy people in Norfolk, England for years, scientists were able to predict dementia up to 12 years before diagnosis using a visual test.
Out of 8,623 who took part in the study, 537 participants reportedly developed dementia and these were among the people who didn’t pass the visual sensitivity test.
The researchers have explained in the paper published in the National Library of Medicine that people who aren’t at risk of developing dementia were able to spot a triangle forming in a field of moving dots.
Whereas, participants who would develop the condition were much slower to find the triangle on the screen. “Reduced complex visual processing speed is significantly associated with a high likelihood of a future dementia diagnosis and risk/protective factors in this cohort,” notes the study.
Don’t ignore its impact on your eyesight
Impaired eyesight as well as hearing loss are one of the earliest signs of dementia, notes Alzheimer’s Society. As the condition isn’t age-related, people at risk of getting the disease will experience difficulty in seeing, and it’s not because of an issue with their eyes.
A brain vulnerable to the condition cannot effectively handle the information coming from the eyes, thus causing visual problems.
As well as not overlooking issues with your vision, watching your diet and mental health is also important. A new study found that anxiety increases the risk of developing dementia and a neuroscientist outlines common mistakes people make while making coffee hurting the brain.
