A simple test involving how fast older adults walk and whether or not they have memory complaints may predict pre-dementia.

According to Alzheimer’s Disease International, there were an estimated 44.4 million people suffering from dementia worldwide as of 2013.

In a new study led by Dr. Joe Verghese, M.B.B.S., professor in the Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology and of medicine at Einstein, almost 27,000 older adults across the globe were found to meet one in 10 criteria for measuring pre-dementia based on simple tests. Those who tested positive for pre-dementia had double the chance of developing dementia over the following 12 years.

The study, published in the Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, involved a new test which diagnoses motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR), which measures gait speed, and involves a few questions regarding a person’s cognitive capabilities. Both these tests take only a few seconds, and can be conducted in typical clinical setting. This process helps to detect early stages of dementia, which is critical in order to implement treatment right away.

“In many clinical and community settings, people don’t have access to the sophisticated tests—biomarker assays, cognitive tests or neuroimaging studies—used to diagnose people at risk for developing dementia,” said Dr. Verghese in a statement.

For study participants who met the MCR criteria, the next step is to identify underlying causes for their cognitive complaints and slow gait. The research may help to determine problems that may be controllable and slow the onset of dementia and other cognitive issues.