Quantifying abnormal writing kinematics in writer’s cramp using a novel software platform

• Published in: Acta neurologica Belgica 2024-10, Vol.124 (5), p.1517-1524
• Main Authors: Vysakha, Kavadisseril Vivekanandan, Radhakrishnan, Vineeth, James, Praveen, Kumar, B. Suresh, Susvirkar, Ashish Anand, Sarma, Gangadhara, Cherian, Ajith, Divya, K. P., Nair, Syam Krishnan, Kishore, Asha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biomechanical Phenomena - physiology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Dystonic Disorders - diagnosis; Dystonic Disorders - physiopathology; Female; Handwriting; Humans; Male; Medicine/Public Health; Middle Aged; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Original Article; Software
• ISSN: 0300-9009; 2240-2993; 2240-2993
• DOI: 10.1007/s13760-024-02532-x

Background Writer’s cramp is a task-specific focal hand dystonia, which is diagnosed clinically. Quantification of defect in WC is done using clinical scales, while digitized platforms are lacking. Objective To design and test a platform that can differentiate and quantify the abnormal kinematics of writing using a software interface and to validate it in adult-onset isolated writer’s cramp (WC). Methods A native platform was designed using Java and Wacom Intuos pro tablet and the data analyzed using a MATLAB-based platform called Large Data-Based Evaluation of Kinematics in Handwriting (LEKH). We standardized this new platform by comparing the handwriting between patients with WC and age, and gender and education-matched healthy controls, using standard tasks to assess the kinematics. Results Comparison of the writing of right-handed WC patients ( N  = 21) and 39 healthy controls ( N  = 39) showed that patients differed from controls in the frequency of strokes ( P