By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-20 12:17:20 | Updated at 2026-06-20 13:58:21
1 hour ago
A 10-second 'pinky test' may be able to predict and help ward off dementia, experts have revealed.
It's well known that exercise, especially starting at an early age, can lower the risk of dementia, as it boosts blood flow to the brain and reduces harmful inflammation, preventing toxic plaques from killing off cells.
Aerobic workouts like swimming and jogging, along with weightlifting and yoga, have all been shown to slash the odds of dementia.
But across social media, influencers and experts believe warding off dementia starts with something as small as your pinkies.
Dubbed 'pinky time,' the exercise involves holding both hands in front of you with your palms facing each other. From there, cross your middle finger over your index finger on each hand, like you're crossing your fingers for good luck.
With your index and middle fingers interlaced, touch your ring fingers to your thumbs and then move your pinkies up and down for several seconds.
In one TikTok video about the trick, wellness influencer Ana Lučić claimed that 'just seven to 10 seconds a day of this exercise can help protect against Alzheimer's and improve brain plasticity.'
Lučić noted that if your pinky finger can move easily, it's 'a sign your brain is in great shape' because 'loss of fine motor control often mirrors cognitive decline.'
A 10-second finger exercise may reveal your risk of dementia and even help prevent it, experts have revealed
The trend emerges as 7 million Americans are living with dementia, and that number is expected to nearly double by 2050, leaving millions anxious to catch it early.
Experts have noted that while the specific movements behind 'pinky time' have not been studied, there is evidence that similar movements have brain-boosting properties.
'The hands occupy a disproportionately large amount of the brain's motor and sensory cortex,' Dr Shaheen Lakhan, a neurologist and pain medicine specialist in Miami, told HuffPost.
'Activities that require dexterity, coordination, timing and learning can engage multiple brain networks simultaneously.'
The motor cortex is a part of the brain's frontal lobe that is responsible for planning, controlling and executing voluntary muscle movements, many of which include hand movements.
The sensory cortex, meanwhile, encompasses regions of the cerebral cortex, which receives and processes sensory information from the body and environment like touch, sight and sound.
Stimulating these areas promotes neuroplasticity, which is the nervous system's ability to adapt and learn new information, adjust to new stimuli and compensate for injuries and damage.
Simple pinky movements = powerful brain stimulation 🧠✋ Finger and hand movement exercises — even something as small as moving the pinky — can be very helpful for people with Alzheimer’s and other cognitive decline. These movements: • Activate the motor cortex • Increase blood flow to the brain • Maintain fine motor skills • Keep neural pathways engaged Try these pinky-focused exercises: 🔹 Pinky lifts Place your hand flat on a table. Slowly lift only the pinky finger. Hold 2–3 seconds, relax. ➡️ 10 reps each hand 🔹 Finger tapping Tap the pinky to the thumb, then return. Repeat with other fingers, but give extra reps to the pinky. 🔹 Music rhythm taps 🎶 Play a simple tune and tap your pinky to the rhythm. This engages memory, coordination, and auditory processing. These small movements help support independence in daily tasks like buttoning clothes, holding utensils, and writing — while keeping the brain engaged through movement. Small movements. Big impact. #insulinresistance #fyp #diabetes #metabolichealth #weightloss
♬ The Champion - Lux-Inspira'Pinky time requires that you move your fingers in complex ways on both hands at the same time,' Dr Michelle DiBlasi, chief of inpatient psychiatry at Tufts Medical center in Boston, told Good Housekeeping.
'When you do this, you’re helping both sides of your brain to communicate with one another, which deepens the connection between the left and right sides of your brain.'
Focusing on the task can also calm the nervous system, which reduces stress hormones like cortisol that damage brain cells responsible for memory and executive function.
There are no studies specifically on 'pinky time,' but recent research has suggested there may be a cognitive benefit to finger exercises.
A 2025 study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, for example, found repeating finger exercises may improve cognitive performance with hand-brain coordination.
Additionally, a 2026 study in the journal BMC Geriatrics of 47 older adults in nursing homes found that hand exercises improved motor function in those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to dementia.
'We don’t have enough evidence to show that pinky time has the strength to prevent Alzheimer's,' DiBlasi said.
'However, I do think that this trend is important. Pinky time reminds people that there are ways we can help to prevent Alzheimer's and cognitive decline.'
