copyright Daily Express

Micrographa is a symptom of handwriting becoming smaller and more cramped. It can be an early warning sign of Parkinson's¹. The words are closer together and the letters are smaller. Micrograph may also be an early symptom, preceding other Parkinson's motor symptoms by three to four years². One study found that micrographs are present in almost half of all Parkinson's patients.

But what does micrography have to do with Parkinson’s? Parkinson's is a disease that affects the nervous system and the production of dopamine, a messenger substance in the brain that is important for controlling movements. When dopamine is missing, movements become slower, stiffer and more uncontrolled And that also applies to the fine motor skills and hand functions that are necessary for writing⁴.

Micrography can greatly affect the quality of life of people with Parkinson's disease by making communication difficult and taking away from their independence. The direct consequences of this are often frustration, shame or even isolation. However, there are ways to improve handwriting or to stop or at least slow down further deterioration, for example through occupational therapy, aids or Customization of the typeface. 

As a person affected by Parkinson's, I have experienced for myself that this disease can affect not only my movements, but also my handwriting. My writing has become smaller and more illegible, and I can't express myself as freely as I used to. My handwriting has always been an expression of my personality and a means of recording my thoughts and feelings. Now it feels like I'm losing a part of myself.

It's frustrating that I can't write the way I want to anymore. There's something physical and down-to-earth about handwriting that I really miss. It's hard to explain, but I miss the kinesthetic experience of writing as well as being able to quickly jot down a note. Instead, I have to focus on writing in a way that at least I can still read it myself.

I avoid writing in public - in a way I'm ashamed that I can't write like I used to. It feels like I've lost control of my hand movements. I now write almost exclusively with the keyboard and more recently with speech recognition, because any serious handwritten communication has become impossible for me

I'm trying to find ways to improve my writing. During my complex therapy, I carried out special occupational therapy exercises every day to train my fine motor skills and hand function. I have adapted my writing style in such a way that I start anew after each letter. This allows me to at least keep the letter size roughly the same

My handwriting is part of my identity and I will not stop cultivating it. Of course, it's important that I adapt to the changes that Parkinson's disease brings. But I will not give up and will continue to look for ways to preserve my handwriting and express my personality through my writing as well.

Jürgen Zender in May 2023

Link recommendation: Let's combat Mikrografia (machine-translated version from English to German)