You probably remember a time when nobody dared talk about dementia. Comedians would joke about ‘mad granddad’ but no-one seriously wanted to contemplate a life without memory.

Thankfully, Alzheimer’s disease charities have started to wake us up to the reality of the 850,000 people who live with dementia in the UK.

Stigmatisation is waning, but dementia is still greatly misunderstood and is feared more than cancer or even death.

So, when the headline “Test to STOP Alzheimer’s: Simple 20-minute quiz could be key to beating the disease” made the front cover of the Daily Express last week, it struck a chord with a great many of us.

Promising to “halve the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease”, I decided to try it out to discover just how well it could ease fears of dementia.

Designed by UK-based charity Food for the Brain, the quiz aims to measure thinking powers, short term memory and assess lifestyle habits.

A series of questions require you to match symbols and numbers, and to recall pictures while working to a time limit. Questions such as ‘how often do you eat oily fish?’ and ‘when was the last time you went to a restaurant?’ seek to find out whether your habits affect risk for dementia in later life. (The irony of asking someone with potential memory problems to recall the last time they ate salmon clearly passed them by.) The final results page then offers ‘personalised’ advice on dietary changes and tells you whether you have ‘mild cognitive impairment’ – an early indicator of dementia.

What makes this quiz unusual is its use of timed questions. Working against a clock to frantically click answers requires computer dexterity; and given that the test is designed for 50-70-year-olds it is a curious way to measure thinking powers. A scratch beneath the surface of the test also reveals that its foundations look shaky. The quiz has not yet been rigorously tested and there are many proven tests used by doctors that have. Until this one is fully appraised, it is safer to think of it as an experiment.

The test offered some reasonable nutritional advice, but some recommendations were troubling.

In particular, the test and the website advises that everyone aged between 50 and 70 to take vitamin B tablets and pay for a homocysteine blood test. What many people may not realise is that neither vitamin B supplements nor homocysteine blood testing are normal medical practice. These should only be considered under medical supervision.

A better place to get reliable information about dementia would be the Alzheimer’s Society’s website. It offers a Freephone number should you have concerns for yourself or another, alongside useful printouts.

Alas, there are no easy fixes, but the ‘six pillars’ of a brain-healthy lifestyle are cost-free and proven ways to protect your brain from the ravages of time: regular exercise, healthy diet, mental stimulation, quality sleep, stress management and an active social life.

So rather than completing an online survey, 20 minutes might be better spent going for a walk, reading a book or catching up with a friend. Better than a silly test.