Forensic Handwriting Analysis in People with Parkinson's Disease - Pilot Study

Summary

Graphoscopic analysis of handwriting is influenced by various internal and external factors, and individuals with degenerative diseases like Parkinson's face challenges due to limitations in motor abilities, impacting Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) such as handwriting skills. The absence of encouraging outcomes from interventions in handwriting rehabilitation programs and graphoscopic assessment tools, persists as an ongoing challenge.

This pilot study undertook an investigation into the forensic characterization of handwriting in people with Parkinson's Disease (PD). The main goal was to evaluate and compare the effect of 2 rehabilitation programs on handwriting, particularly, regarding 9 static and dynamic features, in individuals with PD.

Additionally, this study contributed to the development of a comprehensive protocol, incorporating the most suitable and discriminatory clinical and graphoscopic assessment tools in the context of PD, and to formulate an occupational therapy rehabilitation program focused on enhancing the dexterity and fine motor skills of the upper limbs, crucial for improved performance in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs).

The pilot trial involved two groups: an intervention group (IG) undergoing traditional physiotherapy and occupational therapy programs (TPRP + OTRP), and a control group (CG) undergoing traditional physiotherapy alone (TPRP).

The objective was to characterize and compare handwriting before and after the rehabilitation programs.

Participants underwent assessments at the study's commencement and after 12 weeks of intervention. Graphoscopic assessment utilized a Wacom One DTC133W0A tablet and NeuroScript's v6.1 MovAlyzeR software. Clinical assessments included the Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test, Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson Disease Rate Scale, and the Parkinson Disease Questionnaire 8 tests.

Conditions

• Parkinson Disease

Interventions

OTHER

Intervention group: PD rehabilitation complemented with Occupational Therapy programme

In intervention group both Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy programmes were implemented. Occupational Therapy programme consisted in trainning the amplitude of the movements involved in the realization of each letter of the alphabet separately and through fine motor exercises. Specifically the tasks consisted of performing: 1. 2 types of handwriting exercises, namely for tracing the upper and lower-case letters of the alphabet guided by dotted lines and writing a sentence with and without spatial boundaries, in Portuguese language (to be performed for about 45 minutes, three times a week) and; 2. 4 groups of fine motor tasks exercises, namely for hand manipulation (2 exercises), finger isolation (3 exercises), finger flexion and extension (2 exercises) and coordination (1 exercise). All exercises were performed 10 times, in triplicate, for each hand on a regular basis of 2-3 times per week.

OTHER

Control Group: conventional physiotherapy programme

In this group only the conventional physiotherapy programme was implemented. This programme has the purpose of improving balance and reducing the risk of falls, enhancing mobility and motor function, managing muscle stiffness and rigidity, addressing gait abnormalities, and providing education and support. In this regard, participants were guided and supervised in each physiotherapy session by a Parkinson's disease healthcare specialist.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Egas Moniz - Cooperativa de Ensino Superior, CRL

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-03-14

Primary Completion

2023-07-21

Completion

2023-12-20

Countries

• Portugal

Study Locations