A finger exercise known as "pinky time" has gained widespread attention on social media.
Many posts claim that performing the exercise for just a few seconds each day can strengthen the brain and reduce the risk of dementia.
The growing interest reflects the fact that many people are looking for simple ways to protect their brain health as they age.
What does the research say?
Monika McAtarsney Kovacs, a cognitive neuropsychology researcher at Anglia Ruskin University, told The Conversation, as reported by The Sun, that the trend is partly based on established knowledge about the brain.
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Learning new and challenging hand movements stimulates the brain.
Research has also shown that activities such as playing a musical instrument or knitting can benefit memory and improve the brain's ability to learn.
Researchers also use finger exercises to study how the brain changes with age. However, these exercises are used solely as research tools.
The pinky finger exercise
According to Monika McAtarsney Kovacs, there is no research showing that this particular finger exercise can detect early signs of dementia or prevent the disease.
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How well a person performs the exercise may depend on factors such as flexibility, previous injuries, and prior experience.
The exercise involves keeping the index and middle fingers together while touching the thumb with the ring finger. The little finger is then moved up and down for approximately 10 seconds.
Instead, Alzheimer's Society and the NHS point to regular physical exercise, good-quality sleep, social interaction, and maintaining good vision and hearing as some of the measures most likely to help reduce the risk of dementia.
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