Campus Units
Kinesiology
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
11-2018
Journal or Book Title
Journal of Neurology Research
DOI
10.14740/jnr493w
Abstract
Background: Persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD) typically have small handwriting, especially when writing faster and/or larger. However, visual cues can help persons with PD increase their handwriting size. This study tested if lined paper would improve handwriting in persons with PD, even when writing faster and/or larger. Secondarily, we wanted determine if persons with PD perceived handwriting as stressful, and if perceived stress was associated with writing performance.
Methods: The study included 22 subjects with Parkinson’s disease and 11 age-gender-matched controls. Participants completed eight trials (2 times 2 times 2) of printing a “P” and “d”, at a comfortable speed and also as fast as possible in two different sizes (1, 2 cm). The participants wrote with a ballpoint pen on lined paper. Bipolar electromyography (EMG) sensors recorded muscle activity from the index finger extensor (extensor digitorum communis (EDC)) and flexor (first dorsal interosseous (FDI)). Participants completed all of the trials for a particular pace (conditions were randomized) before completing all the trials of the other pace (order was counterbalanced).
Results: Handwriting height was smaller for persons with PD when required to write fast. There was also a trend for patients with PD to write slower and have smaller peak pen accelerations, but these were not statistically significant. Persons with PD found handwriting to be more stressful than healthy older adults did; and perceived stress negatively correlated with letter height and EMG activity.
Conclusions: Our study found that visual cues did not normalize handwriting height in persons with PD when writing large and/or fast. Persons with PD find handwriting to be stressful, and stress may negatively influence their handwriting.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Copyright Owner
Elmer Press Inc
Copyright Date
2018
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Zaman, Andrew and Stegemoller, Elizabeth L., "Handwriting at Different Paces and Sizes With Visual Cues in Persons With Parkinson’s Disease" (2018). Kinesiology Publications. 39.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/kin_pubs/39
Included in
Exercise Science Commons, Motor Control Commons, Neurology Commons, Psychology of Movement Commons
Comments
This article is published as Zaman, A.F., Stegemoller, E.L., Handwriting at different Paces and Size with Visual Cues in Persons with Parkinson's Disease. Journal of Neurology Research, 2018; doi: 10.14740/jnr493w.