The Clock drawing test is a simple and effective method utilized in the neuropsychiatric assessment of patients. Reviews of the research literature support its use as a reliable screening tool for cognitive dysfunction, particularly for dementia.
Although the most of studies utilize the clock-drawing test to assess cognition in the context of screening for dementia, other conditions have also been evaluated. For example, recent studies have reported the utilization of a clock-drawing test for diagnosing and grading the severity of hepatic encephalopathy, predicting rehabilitation outcomes after traumatic brain injury.
How to do the clock drawing test:
You’ll need a blank sheet, a highlighter or a pencil, and a friend’s help. Draw a clock and ask still another person to express the time (hours and minutes). For example, 10: 10 AM. Then draw minute and hour hands so they show the time your friend indicated.
This clock drawing test involves lots of processes in our brains. The parts of the brain accountable for arm movement, spatial, and visual perception start working harder and that’s why the shortcoming to draw a clock and clock hands may possibly be signs of early dementia.
The most commonly utilized system of qualitative clock-drawing test have 5 types of errors:
– graphic difficulties
– stimulus-bound response
– conceptual deficit
– planning deficit
– perseveration.
There’s also variability in how clock drawing tests are administered. Some recent tests provide a predrawn circle and different time-settings. Most formal tests first instruct the patient to draw a clock and then copy a clock. There is evidence that patients with Alzheimer’s disease make fewer errors on clock-drawing when asked to copy a clock, presumably while there is less utilization of executive functions and semantic memory.
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