Brain Self-Tests
6 tests that reveal what MRI and CT scans miss. Your brain scan was "normal" — but your brain isn't functioning normally. These tests show why.
If you only do one thing from this page:
Do the Romberg balance test
Stand on one leg, eyes open, for 10 seconds. If you can't: your cerebellum is underperforming — and a 2022 study of 1,702 adults found this predicts 84% higher mortality risk. One test. Ten seconds. Free.
Too foggy to read this page? Start here:
- • Normal MRI ≠ normal brain function. Concussions are functional injuries — invisible to structural scans.
- • These 6 tests map which brain areas are disconnected — cortex (left/right), cerebellum, brain stem.
- • Your pattern (left imbalance, right imbalance, or higher/lower) determines which exercises you need.
"A photo of your phone's hardware won't tell you why the screen froze. A brain scan shows structure — not function. Your MRI is normal. But 40,000 eye movements a day are draining your battery because your cerebellum isn't coordinating them. No scan will ever show you that."
Before You Start
These tests are not diagnostic. They identify functional patterns for self-guided exercise selection. One positive test means nothing — patterns across multiple tests are what matter.
Stand near a wall. Have someone present. Video yourself for objectivity. Remove shoes and socks for balance tests.
The 6 Tests
Finger Tapping Test
Setup
Seated. Hands on thighs.
Protocol
- 1 Left hand: hold up, touch index finger to thumb as WIDE and FAST as possible. 10 seconds.
- 2 Rest. Repeat with right hand.
- 3 Compare: speed, amplitude (how wide it opens), rhythm, any facial movements.
Watch For
- → One hand clearly slower or stiffer
- → Amplitude decreasing mid-test (decrement)
- → Face scrunching to compensate
- → Dominant hand slower than non-dominant = significant
Scoring
Slower LEFT hand = 1 tick on RIGHT cortex. Slower RIGHT hand = 1 tick on LEFT cortex. Motor pathways cross at the brain stem.
The finger tapping test is a validated Parkinson's screening tool used in clinical neurology. But it also reveals hemisphere imbalances in non-Parkinson's brain fog — the kind that standard imaging misses completely.
Lee CY et al., PLoS ONE, 2016 — smartphone finger tapping validated for bradykinesia (n=144)
Rapid Alternating Movement
Setup
Standing or seated. Arms in front.
Protocol
- 1 Level 1: Arms straight forward. Flip palms up/down as fast as possible.
- 2 Level 2: Elbows tucked at 90°. Flip palms up/down.
- 3 Level 3: One hand flips while the OTHER hand massages your own wrist in small circles.
Watch For
- → Hand drifting from position
- → Wobbling or irregular rhythm
- → Elbow lifting or dropping (compensation)
- → One side clearly worse than the other
Scoring
Affected side = ticks on SAME side cerebellum. The cerebellum does NOT cross. Level 1 fail = 1 tick. Level 2 = 2 ticks. Level 3 = 3 ticks.
Your cerebellum contains 80% of all brain neurons. It coordinates not just movement but thinking, memory, emotions, and autonomic function. When it fails, everything downstream fails — but MRI shows nothing.
Schmahmann JD & Sherman JC, Brain, 1998 — cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome
Romberg Balance Test
Setup
Standing near a wall (safety). Someone nearby to catch you.
Protocol
- 1 Variation A: Feet together, arms at sides, eyes CLOSED. Hold 30 seconds.
- 2 Variation B: One foot directly in front of the other (tandem stance), eyes closed. 10 seconds. Switch feet.
- 3 Bonus: Stand on one leg, eyes open. Can you hold 10 seconds?
Watch For
- → Which direction you sway or fall
- → Inability to maintain position
- → Massive difference between eyes open vs. closed
Scoring
Fall/sway RIGHT = 1 tick on RIGHT cerebellum. Fall LEFT = 1 tick on LEFT cerebellum. Same side — cerebellum doesn't cross.
A 2022 study of 1,702 adults (ages 51-75) found that inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds predicted 84% higher all-cause mortality risk over the next decade. Balance isn't just about not falling. It's a window into your entire brain.
Araujo CG et al., Br J Sports Med, 2022 — 10-second OLS and mortality (n=1,702, HR 1.84)
Fukuda Stepping Test
Setup
Remove shoes and socks. Silent room. No music. No visual cues. Clear space.
Protocol
- 1 Stand with feet together, eyes closed.
- 2 March in place: 50 steps. Knees to 90°. Arms swinging naturally.
- 3 Open your eyes. Where did you end up? How much did you rotate?
Watch For
- → Body rotation >45° to one side
- → Forward or backward drift
- → Dizziness after finishing (mild = vestibular stress; severe = significant)
Scoring
Rotation direction = ticks on SAME side cerebellum. Dizziness without rotation = 1 tick on both sides.
Your inner ear, cerebellum, and proprioceptive system work together to keep you oriented in space. When one fails, the others compensate — but that compensation costs energy. The energy bill shows up as brain fog by 4-5pm.
Fukuda T, Acta Otolaryngol, 1959 — Stepping test for vestibular function assessment
Smooth Pursuit Eye Tracking
Setup
Seated. Hold thumb at arm's length, centered between eyes.
Protocol
- 1 Lock eyes on your thumb.
- 2 Slowly move thumb LEFT → RIGHT. Your HEAD stays perfectly still. Eyes only.
- 3 Do 3-4 complete passes.
- 4 Have someone observe or video yourself.
Watch For
- → Head turning to follow (brain can't track with eyes alone)
- → Eyes "catching up" in jumps instead of smooth tracking
- → Excessive blinking
- → After 3-4 passes: eyes start jerking or losing focus
- → Eye strain pulling toward one side
Scoring
Head turns or eyes strain LEFT = 1 tick on LEFT cortex. Head turns or eyes strain RIGHT = 1 tick on RIGHT cortex.
You make 40,000-50,000 eye movements per day. If each one requires your head to compensate because your brain can't coordinate the eyes alone, the cumulative energy cost is enormous. This is why many people feel fine in the morning but crash by late afternoon.
Munoz DP et al., Brain, 2003 — eye tracking deficits in ADHD
Near-Far Convergence
Setup
Seated. Hold a pen or phone at arm's length.
Protocol
- 1 Focus on the object.
- 2 Slowly bring it toward your nose.
- 3 Slowly move it away.
- 4 Repeat 3-5 times.
Watch For
- → Double vision at any point
- → One eye "giving up" and drifting
- → Eye strain or pain
- → Unable to maintain single image as object approaches
Scoring
Not formally scored in the brain map — but failure indicates brain stem coordination issues that compound other findings.
Convergence insufficiency is one of the most common undiagnosed causes of reading difficulty, headaches, and screen fatigue. It's treatable — but only if you know to look for it.
Clinical observation — convergence insufficiency prevalence ~5-13% in school-age children (Rouse et al., Optom Vis Sci, 1999)
Score Your Brain Map
What Your Pattern Means
Left Brain Imbalance
High RIGHT cerebellum + LOW left cortex
ADHD-like pattern: poor sustained attention, impulsivity, difficulty with sequential tasks
Right Brain Imbalance
High LEFT cerebellum + LOW right cortex
Autistic-spectrum pattern: social processing difficulty, sensory sensitivity, rigid thinking
Higher/Lower Dysfunction
BOTH cerebellums high, cortex relatively spared
Foundation problem: dizziness, autonomic symptoms, temperature dysregulation, exercise intolerance. Takes longer to heal — must fix foundation before upper floors.
"A 12-year-old boy — call him Keith — got hit by a baseball. CT scan: completely normal. But his personality changed overnight. He became aggressive. He developed severe ADHD. His mother was desperate."
Eye movement testing revealed what the CT couldn't: severe frontal lobe dysregulation. His eyes lagged, jumped, and his head compensated on every pass. The structural test showed nothing. The functional test revealed everything.
Treatment: therapeutic eye exercises. Not medication. Result: personality normalized. ADHD reversed. Because the exercises regulated his frontal lobe — the same area the eyes connect to.
BASED ON YOUR SCORES
Targeted Brain Exercises →
Figure-of-eight, VOR training, and progression protocols matched to your brain map.
IF EXERCISES CAUSE SYMPTOMS
Brain Fuel →
If exercises make you worse, your brain is running on empty. Fix fuel first.
This information is for educational purposes only. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional.