Micrographia in Parkinson's Disease

Micrographia means "small writing." It is a common symptom of Parkinson's disease, which affects many voluntary and involuntary muscle movements through the loss of the brain chemical dopamine.

Cause

• The underlying cause of micrographia in Parkinson's disease is hypokinesia, which is a decreased amplitude in movement, according to Dr. Ewa Jarzebska of Wroclaw Medical University in Poland.

Effects

• Writing becomes small and cramped in Parkinson's disease because it is difficult to start and sustain motion with a writing utensil, explains The Merck Manual of Health & Aging.

Significance

• Jarzebska reports that micrographia occurs in about 75 percent of people with Parkinson's disease.

Therapy

• Jarzebska tested a therapy for micrographia using lined paper that also provided a dot as a guide for letter size. Study participants were asked to write larger as well. She reported that these methods worked for about half the participants.

Features

• Closing the eyes while writing helps improve micrographia in people with Parkinson's disease who are not on drug therapy, according to Dr. William G. Ondo and Dr. Pankaj Satija at the Baylor College of Medicine. They found that some people with Parkinson's disease naturally adopt this as a writing strategy.