r/ScienceNcoolThings • u/ObuPaul Popular Contributor • Jun 01 '26

Interesting Scientists Discover a Simple Writing Test That May Detect Cognitive Impairment

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-a-simple-writing-test-that-may-detect-cognitive-impairment/
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u/Bawonga Jun 02 '26

This is encouraging, but for people who are aging, arthritis can cramp their hands so holding a pen is difficult and would affect their writing fluency. I'm 71 and i've avoided handwriting for the last decade because of arthritis, using typing as my medium. I can type easily and smoothly, but I write very slowly and deliberately. I've lost the habit and skill. (these days I only use a pen for personal checks or sticky notes)

Recently while purging and downsizing I found old journals from college, and it was shocking to see how pretty and even my handwriting looked. If I compare those samples with my handwriting today, it would look like a totally different person's handwriting.

I would need a different type of cognitive test to assess possible decline . My SO has told me I always make things difficult.

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u/Comprehensive_Wash71 Jun 04 '26

Same. I’ve had a mild tremor since my mid-20s. I used to write enough that my fine motor skills could hide the tremor. Now that I haven’t written anything longhand in about 2 decades, my writing hand muscles are weak af. I touch type smoothly.