Loss of balance can be an early sign of brain changes and functional decline, even in healthy people.
There are two ways a stroke can occur. Often, when a blood clot lodges in an artery in the brain, it blocks blood flow. In some cases, the clot forms inside the vein because the cholesterol-filled plaque has broken open.
The researchers believe that a 20-second test can reveal a lot about a person’s brain, and predict the risk of stroke.
Research published in the journal Stroke found that those who stand on one leg for less than 20 seconds are more likely to suffer a stroke or brain damage.
The results emerged from a Japanese study of nearly 1,400 people.
The researchers found that those with mild cognitive impairments, particularly those with Alzheimer’s disease, were prone to instability while standing on one leg.
And in 2009, researchers found in a paper published in the journal Alzheimer’s Disease that abnormal balance in one leg “is a sign of more advanced dementia and predicts a higher rate of cognitive decline.” What they haven’t determined yet is whether the poor stability is linked to brain lesions.
For this, they measured the time of standing on one leg with eyes open as an indicator of postural stability, on either leg. Participants were given two attempts, and the team measured the interval of time it took to raise the leg twice, with a maximum of 60 seconds allowed.
The best of the two attempts was used for statistical analysis. All measurements were taken from participants who were barefoot and with their arms at their sides.
The results showed that a standing time on one leg of less than 20 seconds was “significantly associated with apparently cerebral small vessel disease in a general healthy population from middle-aged to elderly individuals.”
The team also found that about a third of participants with more than two lesions in their brains had a balance problem.
When looking at patients with only one lesion in the brain, 16% of the participants found it difficult to balance.
A lesion means that the brain tissue shows damage from injury or disease, and causes wide-ranging symptoms including weakness or disruption of multiple senses.
The Cleveland Clinic explains that strokes are one of the most common causes of brain lesions.
“You can often prevent a stroke or at least delay it when you have a stroke or reduce its severity,” she adds.
According to the health authority, some types of brain lesions will heal on their own, but others may become permanent or occur for reasons that cannot be treated.
(express)