Stroke can happen in two ways, and it commonly occurs when a blood clot obstructs the flow of blood in one of the arteries of the brain.

Sometimes, a plaque loaded with cholesterol breaks apart, allowing a blood clot to develop within the vein.

Researchers think that a simple 20-second test may tell a lot about a person’s brain and predict their risk of suffering a stroke.

A study featured in the journal Stroke discovered that individuals capable of balancing on a single leg for 20 seconds or less are more susceptible to experiencing a stroke or brain injury.

The results came from Japanese research including around 1,400 participants.

Prior research by the project’s experts had shown that those with modest cognitive impairments, especially those with Alzheimer’s disease, were more likely to become unsteady while standing on one leg.

In 2009, researchers wrote in the journal Alzheimer’s Disease that an abnormal balance on one leg “is a marker of more advanced dementia and predicts a higher rate of cognitive decline.”

What they hadn’t figured out yet was whether or not poor balance was linked to damage in the brain.

As a measure of postural stability, they looked at how long a person could stand on one leg with their eyes open. They did this on both legs.

A maximum of 60 seconds was permitted for the period of time before the lifted leg was lowered.

The statistical analysis was conducted using the most successful of the two efforts.

Subjects were told to keep their feet together and stand up straight on the footplate while looking at a circular, colorless target 200 cm in front of their eye point.

Both arms were held at the side of the body while measuring was done barefoot, according to the authors.

The results indicated that sanding times of less than 20 seconds were “significantly associated with cerebral small vessel disease in apparently healthy middle-aged to elderly general populations.”

Moreover, around one-third of those with more than two brain injuries showed difficulty with balance.

When people with just one brain lesion were looked at, 16% of them had trouble keeping their balance.

A lesion means that brain tissue has been damaged by an injury or disease. It can cause a wide range of symptoms, such as weakness or problems with more than one sense.

The Cleveland Clinic says that one of the most common reasons for brain lesions is a stroke.

It includes: “You can often prevent a stroke or at least delay when you have one or limit how severe it is.”

Depending on the cause, some brain lesions may heal on their own, while the health agency reports that others are permanent.

Source: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.114.006704

Image Credit: Getty