Handwriting graphical parameters analysis in Posterior Cortical Atrophy: A case report

Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA) is a rare neurodegenerative syndrome characterized by an occipital atrophy resulting in a progressive impairment of upper visual functions. The inconsistency of terminology of this pathology makes its diagnosis difficult and delayed. We present a 76-year-old patient with PCA having difficulties in reading, writing, and daily manipulations. The objective was to evaluate the kinematic writing parameters. Linguistic, cognitive-non-linguistic and non-cognitive-non-linguistic graphical tasks were performed. The kinematic parameters extracted were jerk, velocity and pressure. We found a kinematic profile for all these parameters different from what observed in healthy controls and patients with Alzheimer's Disease. This study, through an analysis of writing features never studied before in PCA, shows the interest of handwriting kinematic analysis in the clinical diagnosis of PCA.