The Effect of Medication on Handwriting

This paper describes a handwriting study which involved the voluntary participation of patients who were undergoing treatment for schizophrenia in a psychiatric hospital. Medication was a part of the treatment in all cases. The medication consisted of neuroleptic or antipsychotic drugs, sometimes in combination with anti-parkinsonism and anti-convulsant drugs. It was the effect of these drugs on the individual's handwriting characteristics that was studied. As was suspected, the effects on the handwriting could not be generalized in any one drug group. Two conclusions were drawn from the examination of the handwriting. First, in 80% of the sample handwritings taken, the individual characteristics were not affected by the drug treatments. Second, in some patients, the size and uniformity of the handwriting was affected, as the drug treatment progressed.