Kinematic analysis of handwriting movements in patients with Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, depression and healthy subjects

A variety of studies have demonstrated that motor disorders,
parkinsonism and extrapyramidal motor symptoms (EPMS) are common in
patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several studies have
reported an association of EPMS with severity, progression and poor
prognosis of AD. The majority of these studies used clinical
assessments for the rating of EPMS. In this study, kinematic
handwriting analysis was used to quantify differences in fine hand
motor function in patients with probable AD and mild cognitive
impairment (MCl, as an assumed initial stage of AD) compared to
depressed patients and healthy controls. Both patients with MCl and
patients with probable AD exhibited loss of fine motor performance.
Movements of AD patients were significantly less regular than those
of healthy controls. Copyright (C) 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel.