Can you really test your risk for developing Parkinson’s disease? Well, if some social media posts are to go by, you can with the help of the Parkinson ‘s Challenge Finger Test.
“Please ask adults over 50 years to perform this test
to check their 10-year risk of getting Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr Siva
Sundar, general medicine, demonstrating the practice along with his mother.
The finger test, first demonstrated by neurosurgeon Dr
Arun L Naik, requires one to be able to lock the index and middle finger of
each hand, then touch the ring finger and thumb together while flapping the
little finger for at least 60 times in 30 seconds.
Does it
work?
Dr Pawan Ojha, director, neurology, Fortis Hiranandani
Hospital, Vashi contested that the finger test, which according to the video
can predict the risk of Parkinson’s disease over 10 years, is not accurate.
“Parkinson’s disease does not simply entail a slowdown of body movement, it has
a host of other symptoms too, such as tremors in the limbs, difficulty in
walking, postural instability resulting in sudden falls, speech, cognitive and
sleep disturbances. Hence to diagnose this condition a comprehensive test is
needed, and the
finger test is not comprehensive at all, as it relies
solely on one symptom i.e slowdown of movements,” said Dr Ojha.
The finger-tapping test is part of a more
comprehensive tool (PREDICT PD, published in 2014) aimed at predicting
Parkinson’s disease in Western countries. “PREDICT PD is an online test
(including family history, non-motor symptoms, and lifestyle factors), a
keyboard-tapping task and a Smell Identification Test. One of the components of
this test is the distal finger-tapping test,” said Dr Ojha.
However, it’s important to note that the version of
the distal finger-tapping test used in the Predict PD program differs from the
one shown in the video. According to Dr Ojha, the Predict PD program deploys
the keyboard tapping test, where individuals are asked to tap a keyboard for 30
seconds, those with Parkinson’s will be less coordinated and slower than those
without the condition. “Slowness is a common symptom associated with a lot of
health conditions like arthritis, stroke, neuropathy, and muscle weakness,”
said Dr Ojha.
Another test — PREDIGT — also incorporates genetic
studies, such as identifying mutations in DNA. “Data is continuously being
collected to improve these predictions over time. Therefore, one should avoid
rushing to take the test shown in this video to assess one’s risk of
Parkinson’s disease, as it could lead to confusion and unnecessary fear among
the general public. Instead, one might consider taking the online survey
PREDICT PD to understand the predisposition for Parkinson’s disease. It should
however be followed by a visit to a neurologist for verification of diagnosis
and treatment if necessary,” said Dr Ojha.
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