agraphia (dysgraphia)

Introduction

Inability to express one's thoughts in writing.

Etiology

• motor system disorders
• Gerstmann syndrome
• lesions of the inferior parietal lobe produce both alexia & agraphia
• idiopathic

Clinical manifestations

• children
  • generally emerges when they are first introduced to writing
  • they make inappropriately sized & spaced letters, or write wrong or misspelled words, despite thorough instruction
  • other learning disabilities may be present
  • usually have no social or other academic problem
• adults
  • generally occur after some trauma
  • poor handwriting
  • wrong or odd spelling
  • production of words that are not correct (i.e., using 'boy' for 'child')

Diagnostic procedures

Assessment:

• ask the patient to write a complete sentence
• if the patient cannot write, ask him/her to dictate a sentence
• motor system disorders produce a mechanical agraphia
• Gerstmann syndrome produces an aphasic agraphia

Management

• treat motor disorders to help control writing movements
• address impaired memory or other neurological problems
• use computers to avoid the problems of handwriting
• prognosis
  • some individuals improve their writing ability, others do not

More general terms

• learning disorder (learning disability)