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Photo credit: Thomas MacDonald
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What if we told you that trying to stand on one leg for 20
seconds (or more) could help you gauge the health of your brain? You
might think we were a bit unbalanced ourselves. But that's exactly what a
new study published in the journal Stroke suggests.
Researchers at the Center for Genomic Medicine at Kyoto University in
Japan asked about 1,400 people (average age 67) to stand with one leg
raised and their eyes open for up to 60 seconds. Everyone tried this
twice; best times were used for analysis. Then, using MRI, the
researchers scanned everyone's brain.
They found that those who struggled to balance for 20 seconds had
cerebral small-vessel disease (SVD), even though they weren't exhibiting
any classic symptoms. SVD is related to stroke, dementia and even
Parkinson's. Among the balance-impaired, 15% had one micro-bleed brain
lesion (30% had two) and 16% had one arterial brain blockage (35% had
two.) In addition, those with the shortest balance times generally had
the lowest mental performance scores.
How can standing on one leg provide insight into the brain's health?
"Balance is achieved and maintained by 3 main sensory circuits,"
explains Jose Biller, MD, chair of neurology at Loyola Medicine in
Maywood, IL. "Vision, proprioception [your sense of body position] and
the vestibular system [inner ear, etc.]." If you were paying attention
in high school anatomy, you'll remember that the brain controls all
these sensory circuits. So any loss of motor coordination, such as the
inability to balance for any length of time, could suggest brain damage.
So take the balance test to see how you do. If you can't break that
20-second threshold then, according to Biller, you may be at increased
risk for brain disease and cognitive decline. Consult with your
physician.
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