Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease affect cognitive abilities, but in many cases, the condition isn’t discovered until there are obvious signs such as forgetfulness and memory loss. But scientists are discovering more warning signs, and a new study suggests one of them might be your handwriting.
The Handwriting Alzheimer’s Study
A 2023 article by USC Today announced that more than seven million Americans were unaware they had mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A study published in Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy examined data from 40 million Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older and “compared the proportion diagnosed with the rate expected in this age group,” USC Today explained. “They found that fewer than 8% of expected cases were actually diagnosed. In other words, of the 8 million individuals predicted to have MCI based on their demographic profile, which includes age and gender, about 7.4 million were undiagnosed.”
So, recognizing the early warning signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s is important, and a new study by Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, published this month, has discovered another indicator that may help doctors and patients get the correct diagnosis early on.
“Writing is not just a motor activity, it’s a window into the brain,” Dr. Ana Rita Matias, senior author of the study and a kinesiologist from the University of Évora, said in a news release.
Researchers monitored 58 adults living in Portuguese care homes between the ages of 62 and 92. Of those participating, 38 had already been diagnosed with cognitive impairment, while the other 20 were considered healthy.
“Early studies showed that handwriting characteristics in older adults are shaped not only by musculoskeletal aging but also by cognitive deterioration, allowing differentiation between individuals with and without cognitive impairment,” the paper explained.
Now, this doesn’t mean that because a person’s handwriting isn’t aesthetically pleasing, they automatically suffer from a decline in brain function and are headed for an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. As we age, our handwriting can get choppier and sloppier, which can be caused by several things, such as being in a hurry and issues that cause shaky hands. What this study found is that the speed of handwriting is the tell.
Participants were asked to complete two tasks. In the first one, pen control was measured. The older adults were asked to draw ten horizontal lines and were given 20 seconds to do so. Then they needed to place at least ten dots on the paper within the same amount of time.
The second task focused on handwriting speed. Seniors were asked to write two sentences: one they copied from a card, and the other one they wrote while someone dictated to them. The latter test is where the differences began to appear.
The research team discovered that when participants tried to write sentences dictated to them, those with cognitive impairment tended to pause longer before pen movements and used smaller strokes to complete the task.
“We found that older adults with cognitive impairment displayed distinct patterns in the timing and organization of their handwriting movements,” Matias said.
There didn’t seem to be any meaningful differences between the participants during the easier exercises, drawing dots and copying sentences written on cards. “Dictation tasks are more sensitive because they require the brain to do multiple things at once: listen, process language, convert sounds into written form and coordinate movement,” Matias said. “Timing and stroke organization are closely linked to how the brain plans and executes actions, which depends on working memory and executive control.” She added:
“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.”
It’s important to note that the study did not account for any medications participants may have been taking during testing, which also could have affected handwriting speed.
But Americans Are Losing Their Writing Skills
In a strange turn of events, this discovery may not be as beneficial for future generations. Technology is having an impact, and students no longer have to spend hours handwriting assignments. A lot of schoolwork can be done on computers, laptops, and tablets. A 2016 budget hearing in Albany, NY, discussed the severe decline in the writing ability of children and teens, some of whom can't even write their own names.
“Not only is it sad, but it’s a security issue,” said Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis.
When asked to sign their names, students printed their signature instead, not knowing how to write in cursive. “Can you imagine?” Malliotakis told the New York Post. “Not only does it mean you can’t sign a business contract, but it makes you vulnerable to identity theft because anyone can just go ahead and print your name.”
There’s also the issue that handwriting is getting harder to read in younger generations. Teachers and parents have complained that students’ penmanship can be illegible.
As scientists continue searching for earlier ways to detect dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, studies like this highlight just how connected everyday activities are to brain health. Something as simple as handwriting may offer doctors another tool to spot cognitive decline before severe memory problems begin to appear. At the same time, the growing reliance on technology and the decline in writing skills among younger generations raise an interesting question about the future. If fewer people regularly write by hand, especially in more complex forms like cursive, researchers may eventually lose a valuable window into how the brain functions and changes with age.
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