Researchers have identified three handwriting differences in older adults with cognitive impairment, suggesting that changes in writing could serve as an early indicator of Alzheimer's and dementia. The findings come from a study involving 58 care-home residents, 38 of whom had previously been diagnosed with some form of cognitive impairment.
Participants performed tasks using a digital pen and tablet, including copying a sentence from a card and writing a more complex sentence as it was dictated. Those with cognitive impairment took longer to complete the tasks, began writing later, and produced larger letters than those without impairment.
What the Study Revealed
Handwriting relies on several cognitive processes, including motor control, information interpretation, and the organisation of movement on a page. This complexity can make writing difficult for people with emerging conditions such as dementia or Alzheimer's.
Assistant professor at the University of Évora Dr Ana Rita Matias, who led the study, said: "Timing and stroke organisation are closely linked to how the brain plans and executes actions, which depends on working memory and executive control. As these cognitive systems decline, writing becomes slower, more fragmented, and less coordinated."
She added: "In contrast, other features can remain relatively preserved, especially in the early stages of cognitive decline, making them less sensitive indicators."
How to Recreate the Task at Home
According to HuffPost, writing down sentences read aloud reveals more cognitive-motor vulnerability than simply copying text from a visual flashcard. People can replicate this at home with a simple pen-and-paper task: have someone read two sentences of varying complexity aloud, or play a recorded audio snippet, and try to write them down exactly as spoken.
People in the early stages of cognitive decline tend to have longer pauses between pen strokes, a slower overall writing speed, and more fragmented, less smoothly organised movements because the brain requires more effort to plan the next physical stroke.
It is important not to treat these at-home tests as a certain sign of Alzheimer's or dementia. Many non-cognitive conditions can alter the appearance of a person's handwriting, and anyone with concerns should speak to a doctor.
