@article{Bortolotto_Ara_Devita_Bruno_Girardi_Manzato_Sergi_Coin_2019, title={Handwriting as a possible marker of progression of cognitive impairment in dementia? A pilot study}, volume={67}, url={https://www.jgerontology-geriatrics.com/article/view/34}, abstractNote={<p>Background &amp; objectives. An increasing number of studies have investigated the role of handwriting in describing<br>different stages of dementia evolution. It has been showed that handwriting allows to distinguish<br>among mild cognitive impairment (MCI), early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and its latest stages. However,<br>to our knowledge there are no rigorous studies on this issue, and there is no scientifically based application<br>of handwriting analysis in clinical practice. The aim of this qualitative pilot study is to provide a description of<br>handwriting peculiarities in the different stages of dementia, from MCI to AD, and to suggest that graphological<br>analysis may be a clinical support in diagnosing dementia.<br>Methods. Four patients were evaluated every six months and assessed with MMSE, the Clock test, and a<br>complete neurological evaluation. The “Morettian graphemic system” was then used to analyze handwriting.<br>Results. Handwriting changes over time might reflect variations not only in global cognitive functioning itself,<br>but also in different stages of the disease. Further and more methodologically rigorous investigations are required<br>to explore handwriting as a clinical marker of dementia evolution.</p&gt;}, number={4}, journal={JOURNAL OF GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS}, author={Bortolotto, S. and Ara, E. and Devita, M. and Bruno, G. and Girardi, A. and Manzato, E. and Sergi, G. and Coin, A.}, year={2019}, month={Dec.}, pages={275-279} }