kinematic analysis of handwriting movements in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder - graphic pen tablet

Abstract: Objective functional disorder of the basal cortex should play a role in the pathological physiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
This study for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and healthy controls applied a new computer-assisted technique to analyze hand movements, allowing for detection of subtle abnormalities in motor performance.
Methods the hand motor performance of 22 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder who were not treated was studied using a digital graphic, and compared with 22 healthy controls.
All subjects, in addition to writing a given sentence, their personal signature and four alphabetical sequences of different sizes, drew superimposed concentric circles with the right and left hands.
In order to quantify the movement of the hand, the motion parameters are calculated.
Results The Handwriting performance of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder was significantly impaired and the peak speed was low (sentence t=3. 6; p=0. 001; signature t=2. 8; p=0. 01)
And micrographia (sentencet=3. 4; p=0. 002; signaturet=2. 5; p=0. 02)
Each stroke acceleration phase is shortened compared to controls (sentencet=2. 4; p=0. 02; signature t=4. 1; p=0. 000).
In contrast, the peak speed in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder was higher than that in healthy controls (
Group X task interaction p 0. 8).
It was found that the two-week stability reflecting the speed parameters of diadochokinsia, such as frequency, average peak speed, and average peak acceleration, was within the intermediate range (0. 67