Could These Simple Tests Reveal Early Dementia?

TL;DR

Occupational therapist Pat demonstrates three at-home cognitive screening tests — clock drawing, three-word recall, and counting backwards — that can flag early dementia signs.

Key Points

• 1.The Clock Drawing Test scores spatial planning out of 10. The patient draws a clock, places numbers, then sets hands to 10 past 11; errors like crowded numbers or wrong hand placement indicate cognitive decline, scored using a template overlay.
• 2.A score of zero indicates severe impairment; eight out of ten is relatively good. Misplaced numbers are counted against the total — one patient yesterday scored low by drawing an arm for each number rather than placing all numbers first.
• 3.The Three-Word Recall Test targets short-term memory. The examiner says three words (e.g., apple, penny, table), has the patient repeat them, continues with other tasks for roughly five minutes, then asks the patient to recall the words unprompted.
• 4.Counting backwards from 100 by sevens tests concentration and mental arithmetic. The patient must do this entirely in their head — losing track in the 50s may indicate mild cognitive impairment; the sequence reaches 2 if completed fully.
• 5.The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is the professional gold-standard tool. It includes animal identification, 3D drawing, and object naming; it has three versions, scores users from normal to definite dementia, and requires certified training to administer — notably referenced as the test Donald Trump has repeatedly taken.
• 6.The Allen Cognitive Level Screener uses leather lacing stitches to assess functional cognition. Three progressively complex stitches (running, whip, cordovan) reveal how much support a person needs — both MoCA and Allen Cog scores help doctors decide whether a patient can live safely at home or needs assisted living.