Being unable to stand on one leg for about 20 seconds(Dr. Bing suggests 10 seconds) can point to early brain changes. Balance relies on the cerebellum and basal ganglia, areas also affected in dementia. A Japanese study found that people who couldn’t balance well were more likely to have small-vessel disease in the brain and lower cognition. This doesn’t mean failing once predicts dementia, but if balance is consistently poor, it may reflect early neural decline.
