January 2, 2018
A deterioration in multiplesclerosis patients’ handwriting aligns with drops in their movement, sensory
and cognitive skills, a study reports.
MS includes loss of hand dexterity and finger movement control.
This affects a patient’s capacity to manipulate objects and coordinate hand
movement, skills needed in handwriting.
This affects a patient’s capacity to manipulate objects and coordinate hand
movement, skills needed in handwriting.
Previous studies have shown that MS patients had less
handwriting rhythm and control than healthy people.
handwriting rhythm and control than healthy people.
This time researchers decided to compare the handwriting
movements of both MS patients and healthy volunteers.
movements of both MS patients and healthy volunteers.
The research involved 19 MS patients and 22 healthy age-matched
controls. The team asked participants to write a specific sentence on a
digitizing tablet.
controls. The team asked participants to write a specific sentence on a
digitizing tablet.
They discovered that the way MS patients wrote was much
different than those of the controls. The patients took a lot longer to write
each word and to achieve spacing between words. This led to them taking a much
longer time overall to write a sentence than healthy people.
different than those of the controls. The patients took a lot longer to write
each word and to achieve spacing between words. This led to them taking a much
longer time overall to write a sentence than healthy people.
In addition, analysis of handwriting strokes showed that MS
patients’ writing wasn’t as smooth as that of healthy people.
patients’ writing wasn’t as smooth as that of healthy people.
Researchers also found a correlation between patients’ movement
abilities and cognitive status on the one hand and their handwriting ability on
the other.
abilities and cognitive status on the one hand and their handwriting ability on
the other.
The team said it believed “these findings might be very useful
when planning rehabilitative task-oriented interventions focused on handwriting
abilities.”
when planning rehabilitative task-oriented interventions focused on handwriting
abilities.”
In fact, rehabilitation specialists should consider evaluating
“both the motor movement and the cognitive status of PwMS [patients with MS] in
order to tailor the intervention.”
“both the motor movement and the cognitive status of PwMS [patients with MS] in
order to tailor the intervention.”
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