Drawing test is usually performed to determine the human personality. However, one study found that the drawing test can also be done to predict the risk of dying of stroke patients.
The research team is led by Dr Bernice Wiberg of Uppsala University in Sweden. Data were collected from participants in the study Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men who trace various heart diseases and stroke risk factors in 2322 men from the age of 50 years.
In a new study published in the British Medical Journal, researchers directly monitored more than 900 participants from the years 1991 to 2006. Monitoring began when the participants was about 70 years. At baseline, none of the study participants were diagnosed with stroke.
Participants received a complete medical examination and also underwent evaluation of cognitive function. All of them completed the drawing test called Trail Making Test (TMT) and the mini mental state exam (MMSE) is widely used to detect dementia.
In TMT, participants were asked to draw the line as quickly as possible between the numbers or letters in the sequence. Score given is the amount of time in seconds required to complete the task. General ability of the MMSE is known to general cognitive functions such as orientation, memory and arithmetic.
During the study period of 14 years, 155 participants suffered a stroke. More than half of whom die within 2.5 years and 22 people died within 1 month after stroke. The researchers found that participants who score poorly on tests of TMT are more likely to die.
Participants with a score of TMT is the lowest value is 30% likely to die after suffering a stroke three times greater than the 30% test score draw the most good.
"I was surprised to find that the test results to draw a TMT is a strong predictor of stroke. So I'm not surprised if the test is also associated with risk of death from stroke, but I suspect if the relationship is so strong," Wiberg said as quoted by Time Healthland
TMT is expected to reveal the hidden cognitive impairment due to cerebrovascular disease whose symptoms are not visible, but still have a damaging effect. TMT is easy to do and can help physicians improve the information on stroke patients.
"With paper and pen is simple, we've been able to predict the risk of stroke and death after suffering a stroke," said Wiberg.
