Computerized assessment of handwriting in de novo Parkinson’s disease: a kinematic study

Abstract

Introduction: Dysgraphia, a recognized PD motor symptom, lacks effective clinical assessment. Current evaluation relies on motor assessment scales. Computational methods introduced over the past decade offer an objective dysgraphia assessment, considering size, duration, speed, and handwriting fluency. Objective evaluation of dysgraphia may be of help for early diagnosis of PD. Objective: Computerized assessment of dysgraphia in de novo PD patients and its correlation with clinical scales. Methods: We evaluated 38 recently diagnosed, premedication PD patients and age-matched controls without neurological disorders. Participants wrote “La casa de Pamplona es bonita” three times on paper and once on a Wacom tablet under the paper, totaling four phrases. Writing segments of 5–10 s were analyzed. [...]