MICROGRAPHIA IN PARKINSON’S DISEASE - A REVIEW ON THE CHANGES IN HANDWRITING AND ITS FORENSIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Micrographia is a reduced form of handwriting compared to the writing before
the onset of the Parkinson’s disease. An initial study showed that the people
suffering from Micrographia were unable to write larger and guidelines force
them to increase the writing size temporarily. It was also noted that due to
high pressure the performance of patients was poor and were unable to write
because of the changes in their emotional state. There was no change in the
style of writing but only the reduction of size of writing was significantly
decreased. The same was observed in signatures as well.
Another study by Contreras-Vidal et al, showed tremor, abrupt changes in
handwriting direction, slowness, hesitation, rigidity and changes in baseline of
the handwriting of the Micrographia patients. The authors here have reviewed
the simulation studies done for normal and PD handwriting by the basal
ganglia thalamo-cortical model. The simulations suggest that the overall
smallness and slowness of handwriting in PD may be caused by signals
generated in dopamine-depleted network.
Other studies during the years proved that the patients suffering from PD
suffered from Micrographia where their handwriting size is significantly
decreased in size as compared to their prior handwriting when they were
healthy but the basic formation of strokes remains unaffected, which is of
prime significance for forensic experts.