Researchers from University of Évora have found that changes in handwriting speed and style may serve as an early indicator of cognitive decline in older adults. The findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

The study involved 58 participants aged between 62 and 92 who were living in nursing homes. Most of them had already been diagnosed with cognitive impairment.

Participants completed several writing tasks using a digital tablet. They drew lines and dots, copied sentences, and wrote text from dictation. Researchers found that dictation tasks were especially effective in distinguishing individuals with normal cognitive function from those experiencing memory and thinking difficulties.

According to the results, participants with cognitive decline wrote more slowly, took longer to complete tasks, and showed less coordinated and more fragmented hand movements.

Scientists explained that handwriting relies on the combined work of memory, attention, language processing, and motor coordination. As a result, subtle changes in writing behavior may reflect early disruptions in brain function.

The researchers believe that digital handwriting analysis could eventually become a simple, affordable, and accessible tool for the early detection of dementia and other cognitive disorders in clinics and nursing homes.

Previous studies have also suggested that maintaining strong family connections and traveling during middle age may help reduce the risk of developing dementia later in life.