Could staving off memory loss be as simple as strategically wiggling your pinky fingers around every day? That\u2019s what TikTokers are claiming.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dubbed \u201cpinky time,\u201d<\/a> the viral exercise is fairly simple: You hold your hands in front of you with your palms facing each other. Then, you interlace your index and middle fingers, touch your ring fingers to your thumbs together, and move your pinkies up and down for several seconds. (Watch how it\u2019s done here.<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u201cJust seven to 10 seconds a day of this exercise can help protect against Alzheimer\u2019s and improve brain plasticity,\u201d one wellness influencer, Ana Lu\u010di\u0107, says in one of the\u00a0earliest videos on \u201cpinky time.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n If your pinky can move this easily, Lu\u010di\u0107 says, it\u2019s \u201ca sign your brain is in great shape,\u201d because \u201closs of fine motor control often mirrors cognitive decline.\u201d<\/p>\n Open Image ModalIf your pinky can move this easily, TikToker Ana Lu\u010di\u0107 says, it\u2019s \u201ca sign your brain is in great shape,” because “loss of fine motor control often mirrors cognitive decline.\u201d<\/p>\n Those who post about pinky time say they do it at the same time each day. (One TikToker claimed she and her friends observe \u201cpinky time\u201d at 7:45 pm on the dot every night<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Is there any truth to the TikTokers\u2019 claims? Neurologists we spoke to say that research does suggest structured finger exercises<\/a> can stimulate the brain, support neuroplasticity and help ease symptoms of mild cognitive impairment in older adults.<\/p>\n That\u2019s because finger exercises boost cognitive health by engaging the massive area of the brain\u2019s motor cortex dedicated to the hands and fingers.<\/p>\n \u201cThe hands occupy a disproportionately large amount of the brain\u2019s motor and sensory cortex,\u201d explained\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Shaheen Lakhan<\/a>, a neurologist and pain medicine specialist in Miami. \u201cActivities that require dexterity, coordination, timing and learning can engage multiple brain networks simultaneously.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n But the specific movements used in the \u201cpinky time\u201d trend have not been studied, so it\u2019s important not to confuse a viral exercise with a proven medical intervention, Lakhan told HuffPost.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we should distinguish between brain activation and dementia prevention,\u201d he said. \u201cJust because an activity activates the brain does not mean it prevents Alzheimer\u2019s disease.\u201d<\/p>\n The value of an exercise like pinky time isn\u2019t focusing on the pinky \u2015 it\u2019s the challenge involved.<\/p>\n \u201cLearning a novel coordinated movement recruits brain networks involved in attention, motor planning, sensory processing, timing and learning,\u201d Lakhan said. \u201cThe question isn\u2019t whether the pinky moves; it\u2019s whether the brain is being challenged in a meaningful way.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the most important concepts in neuroscience is that the brain adapts to challenge, he explained.\u00a0\u201cNeuroplasticity thrives at the intersection of novelty, complexity and repetition.\u201d<\/p>\n Open Image Modal<\/p>\n Luis Alvarez via Getty Images<\/p>\n “Performing fine motor tasks or rhythmic finger movements stimulates these neural pathways,” said Dr. Shae Datta, a clinical assistant professor in the department of neurology at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine. “Things like guitar, playing piano, tai chi and other martial arts, working with your hands, and art should all help strengthen these brain pathways.” <\/p>\n What is fascinating is that hand-brain exercises can serve as a window into broader brain function, the doctor said.<\/p>\n \u201cCoordinated movements require communication among sensory, motor, attentional and executive networks,\u201d he said. \u201cIn that sense, they are often exercising far more than the fingers themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n There are other drawbacks with pinky time, besides the lack of research on the specific movements.\u00a0Pinky time provides repetition, but it lacks enough complexity to suggest it would substantially alter long-term cognitive trajectories, Lakhan said.<\/p>\n \u201cAs I often tell patients, cognitive decline isn\u2019t prevented by a single movement. It\u2019s resisted by a lifestyle that continuously asks the brain to adapt,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why it\u2019s a great idea to take up a hobby that calls upon a lot of finger movement, said\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Shae Datta<\/a>, a clinical assistant professor in the department of neurology at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine.<\/p>\n \u201cPerforming fine motor tasks or rhythmic finger movements stimulates these neural pathways,\u201d she said. \u201cThings like guitar, playing piano, tai chi and other martial arts, working with your hands and art should all help strengthen these brain pathways.\u201d<\/p>\n