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A simple writing test could detect cognitive impairment in older individuals before more serious symptoms occur, scientists have discovered.

Writing is a complex, brain-heavy workout that requires the mind to process information, organize thoughts and send precise signals to the fingers all at once, according to experts.

Because writing draws on so many complex mental functions, researchers believe that small changes in how people write could provide early warning signs for cognitive impairment.

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Researchers in Portugal wanted to see if analyzing the process of writing — such as how long a person pauses or how they organize their strokes — could catch cognitive changes earlier than traditional paper-and-pencil tests, which usually only grade the final answer.

The study looked at 58 older adults between the ages of 62 and 92 living in care homes, according to a press release.

Among the participants, 38 had already been diagnosed with cognitive impairment. Each volunteer was asked to complete various writing exercises using an ink pen on a specialized digital tablet that tracked their precise hand movements.

The tests covered basic pen control, copying sentences from a flashcard, and writing sentences that others spoke aloud, the researchers said.

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Simple tasks, like drawing lines or copying text, did not reveal major differences between the two groups. Because these activities rely mostly on basic motor skills, the team hypothesized that they weren’t mentally challenging enough to expose subtle cognitive issues.

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When writing from dictation, older adults with cognitive impairment had writing patterns that were noticeably slower, more fragmented and less coordinated.

“Dictation tasks are more sensitive because they require the brain to do multiple things at once: listen, process language, convert sounds into written form and coordinate movement,” Dr. Ana Rita Matias, the study’s senior author from the University of Évora, stated in the press release.

As a sentence became more complex, the brain struggled to keep up. Adults with cognitive decline took longer to start writing, paused more frequently and struggled with stroke organization, the study found.

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Currently, diagnosing cognitive decline often involves expensive brain scans or lengthy psychological testing.

“The long-term goal is to develop a tool that is easy to administer, time-efficient and affordable, allowing integration into everyday healthcare contexts without requiring specialized or expensive equipment,” Matias said.

The study did have some limitations, including that it was relatively small. As it was limited to 58 older adults living in care homes, larger and more diverse groups need to be tested to confirm the findings, the researchers noted.

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The study also did not account for the participants’ use of medications, which could potentially impact both handwriting and brain function.

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The study was published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

The Trump administration is taking another look at ending biannual clock changes, with an eye toward making daylight saving time (DST), or the “summer clock,” permanent.

On May 21, the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent in a 48-1 vote, part of a largely bipartisan push to end twice-yearly clock changes.

Although gaining extra winter evening daylight might seem like a win, health experts say permanent daylight saving time could disrupt people’s natural circadian rhythms.

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In an interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Wendy Troxel, a licensed clinical psychologist and senior behavioral scientist at RAND based in Utah, said science is being “misconstrued” in this decision.

“Ending the biannual clock change is something most sleep scientists and the public would welcome,” she said. “The disruption of springing forward every March is associated with real, measurable harm — spikes in car crashes, heart attacks and sleep deprivation.”

However, Troxel noted, implementing permanent daylight saving time is “not supported by science.” Instead, evidence “strongly supports” permanent standard time, or the “winter clock,” according to the expert.

Major sleep medicine organizations, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have previously supported adopting permanent standard time over permanent daylight saving time.

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“Standard time is more closely aligned with human circadian biology, meaning the relationship between light, darkness and our internal clocks remains intact,” Troxel said.

“Permanent DST simply shifts an hour of morning sunlight to the evening, and there are significant health and safety costs of that trade.”

The U.S. attempted permanent DST in the early 1970s, but the plan was aborted in part due to these “morning consequences,” according to the sleep expert.

“Within a year, the law was repealed amid public displeasure with commuting to work and school in the dark and increases in morning car crashes, and with no demonstrable impact on energy savings,” Troxel told Fox News Digital.

Why morning sunlight matters

Human circadian rhythms are primarily “anchored” by morning light, Troxel said. Under permanent DST, most people waking up for work or school would be rising before the sun, which forces a “chronic misalignment between the body’s internal clock and the external world.”

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“You cannot override that biology by simply shifting external clocks forward,” the expert said. “What you get instead is a population that is effectively waking up in the middle of their biological night, every single day.”

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The public has typically supported having more daylight in winter evenings, which could alleviate mental health conditions such as seasonal depression.

Supporters of permanent daylight saving time argue that later evening daylight could encourage outdoor activity, recreation and consumer spending after work or school.

Troxel agreed that light is a “powerful regulator” for sleep and moods, but noted that not all types have the same benefits.

“Morning light is crucial to regulate sleep, alertness and support mental health, and this would be sacrificed with permanent daylight saving time,” she noted.

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In some areas of the country, like Utah, Americans wouldn’t see the sunrise until about 9 a.m. in the winter, which some research has linked to higher rates of depression and seasonal mood challenges.

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“More evening light may feel enjoyable, in part because we equate it with lovely summer evenings, but permanent daylight saving time does not mean permanent summer,” Troxel emphasized. “It just means we will get less morning sunlight and more evening sunlight.”

“Exposure to light in the evening further pushes circadian rhythms later, making it more difficult to fall asleep and harder to wake up in the morning.”

Risks for vulnerable groups

Permanent daylight saving time can intensify people’s habit of “bedtime procrastination,” deepen sleep deprivation and contribute to the widespread public health issue of insufficient sleep already identified by the Institute of Medicine, according to Troxel.

Various studies have shown that people typically sleep less in summer compared to winter. Troxel said this is particularly concerning in a society where one in three people are already getting insufficient shuteye.

“This is especially alarming for teenagers, a population the U.S. surgeon general has identified as being in a mental health crisis,” she cautioned.

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For example, a teen waking up at 6:30 a.m. for an 8 a.m. school start time under permanent DST would be rising biologically at 5:30 a.m., Troxel noted, which is “in the middle of their biological night.”

“Framing permanent DST as a fix for seasonal depression gets the science exactly backwards,” she added.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.