This simple 60-second test could reveal early signs of dementia — how do you score?

Early signs of dementia can be difficult to spot, but a 60-second test could indicate whether you have signs of mild cognitive impairment — often a precursor to the condition. The simple test involves choosing a category, such as animals, and naming as many objects in that category as possible.

A 2007 article published in the journal Psychiatry explained: “If a patient can generate the names of more than 21 objects, he or she is probably ‘ok’. If he or she cannot name 15 or more objects, the patient is likely to be cognitively impaired, and the likelihood that he or she has Alzheimer’s disease may be 20 times higher than if a patient can name 15 animals or more.”

Another variation of the test involves asking patients to name as many words beginning with the letter F as they can in one minute. And combining the two tests could give clues as to what type of impairment a person has.

The article said: “For example, if a patient is less able to generate letter F words than to generate names within a specified group, he or she may be more likely to have vascular dementia.”

Researchers also described a third task, the Mini-Cog test, which involves asking patients to recall three words after drowning a picture of a clock.

If patients can remember the words easily, this suggests they do not have dementia.

The article added: “If the patient can recall one or two words, the level of accuracy of his or her clock drawing then becomes definitive.

“If the patient is unable to recall any of the words, it is inferred that he or she has dementia, and more formal testing should be initiated.”

Around one million people in the UK are thought to be living with dementia but around a third are undiagnosed.

Identifying the diseases that cause dementia early can help patients access treatment and support.