Scientists say three handwriting patterns could be an early flag of conditions like Alzheimer's and dementia before memory starts to decline. One study suggests brain function could be tied to how a person writes, and what this might mean for earlier detection of the condition in future.
Handwriting requires a range of cognitive processes, including motor control, information processing, and the coordination of movement across a page. This can make the basic task challenging for someone with developing conditions such as dementia or Alzheimer's.
Study of care-home residents
The discovery came after scientists analysed the speed and intricacy of handwriting among a group of elderly adults. The study included 58 care-home residents, of whom 38 had previously received a diagnosis of some form of cognitive impairment.
These participants completed several tasks using a digital pen and tablet, with one task revealing a distinct difference between the two groups. They were instructed to copy a sentence from a card and write a more complex sentence as it was dictated to them.
Clear differences in writing
The results suggest that those with cognitive impairment required more time to complete the task and commenced writing later than those without impairment. The handwriting itself featured larger letters, reports the Mirror.
Leading the study, assistant professor at the University of Évora Dr Ana Rita Matias 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."
"In contrast, other features can remain relatively preserved, especially in the early stages of cognitive decline, making them less sensitive indicators." Other researchers suggest that handwriting could serve as an effective tool for the earlier detection of Alzheimer's and dementia.
How to recreate the tasks at home
According to HuffPost, writing down sentences read aloud reveals considerably greater cognitive-motor vulnerability than simply copying text from a visual flashcard. This can be replicated at home using a straightforward pen-and-paper exercise.
Those in the early stages of cognitive decline tend to display longer pauses between pen strokes, a reduced overall writing speed, and far more fragmented, less smoothly organised movements, as the brain requires greater effort to plan each subsequent physical stroke. Ask someone to read two sentences of varying complexity aloud — or play a recorded audio snippet — and attempt to write them down precisely as spoken.
An estimated 982,000 people live with dementia in the UK, with Alzheimer's accounting for roughly 60% to 80% of all cases. It is crucial not to treat these at-home symptom tests as a definitive indicator of either Alzheimer's or dementia.
A wide range of non-cognitive conditions can affect the way a person writes. Should you have any concerns, it is always best to consult your GP.
