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Case Reports
. 2025 Mar 18:10:100582.
doi: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2025.100582. eCollection 2025 Jun.

Effect of stroke-induced memory impairment on handwriting-A forensic case study

Mohinder Singh  1 , Romika Chopra  2 , Ajay Sharma  3 , Vishal Sharma  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Effect of stroke-induced memory impairment on handwriting-A forensic case study

Mohinder Singh et al. Forensic Sci Int Synerg. .

Abstract

Handwriting is an acquired neuromuscular skill that relies on motor memory and brain function, which make it vulnerable to impairments caused by physical or mental conditions. This paper presents a forensic case study comparing pre- and post-stroke Devnagari writing samples of a post-neurosurgery memory-impaired patient. The study aimed to assess the feasibility, reliability, and limitations of handwriting identification, in such cases. Results revealed that there are significant differences between pre- and post-stroke handwritings, indicating distinct master pattern and potentially different writers. In the absence of medical history, a false negative opinion could have been generated in this case. This study highlights the need for contemporaneous specimens, careful evaluation, and integration of medical history in forensic document examination. It is, certainly, a grey area, emphasizing the need for further research.

Keywords: Brain stroke; Forensic document examiner (FDE); Handwriting; Memory impairment; Post-stroke writing.

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Conflict of interest statement

All the authors declare that there is no any financial, personal, or professional affiliation that may be perceived as potential sources of bias or conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Key components of handwriting skills.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Areas of Brain involved in execution of Handwriting (A portion of figure taken from Ref. [13]).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Handwriting samples of patient collected post-stroke marked as A-1 belonging to year 2003.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Handwriting samples of patient collected post-stroke marked as A-2 belonging to year 2004.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Handwriting samples of patient collected post-stroke marked as A-3 belonging to year 2005.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Handwriting samples of patient collected post-stroke marked as A-4 belonging to year 2006.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Handwriting samples of patient collected pre-stroke marked as B-1 belonging to year 1982.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Handwriting samples of patient collected pre-stroke marked as B-2 belonging to year 1986.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Juxtaposed comparison chart of dissimilarities between pre-stroke and post-stroke handwritings of the patient.
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
Juxtaposed comparison chart of similarities between pre-stroke and post-stroke handwritings of the patient.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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