The ‘Fist-Edge-Palm’ Test Could Help Spot Dementia

As yet, there’s no single test that can diagnose dementia outright. But some tools, like the clock test and verbal memory quizzes such as the Rey’s Auditory Learning Test, can give doctors a clearer idea of someone’s cognitive state.

And according to neurologist Dr Adnan Husein, another example of this is the “Luria” or “fist-edge-palm” test.

This, he shared in an Instagram Reel, is the “quickest test for dementia” – though again, the condition can’t be diagnosed through a single exercise like this.

You’ll need to see a medical professional to determine whether or not you or someone else has dementia.

It’s a simple set of three hand movements, usually repeated over and over.

A person is asked to follow their clinician’s movement in making a fist, then a “chopping” motion, then a flat palm with their hand.

They might then be encouraged to recreate the movements on their own without an example and/or be told to continue the sequence while, e.g., counting to three or saying something like “cut, fist, and slap”.

Per Dr Husein, this test looks at “motor function, executive function, and sequencing,” all of which can begin to struggle during the development of some dementias.

If someone is dealing with the condition, he claimed, they might struggle to make the moves quickly, or could get stuck on one step. They might also “miss the sequence”.

A 2011 study found that while 54% of participants with Alzheimer’s Disease were unable to complete the test perfectly, and almost 70% of those with another form of dementia known as frontotemporal dementia struggled, only 2.3% of people without dementia had issues.

“So, is that test diagnostic for dementia? No, but it’s a quick screening test you can do in your clinic at any time,” Dr Husein ended the clip.