Movement DisordersNCT06436287
Handwriting Analysis in Movement Disorders.
An observational study of Movement Disorders, run by Western University, Canada at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
Movement disorders are a group of neurological conditions that cause problems with movement, either in the form of excessive, reduced, or slow movements. Some commonly known movement disorders include Parkinson disease, dystonia, ataxia, and Tourette syndrome. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Movement Disorders
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- Jan 2025to Jul 2030
- How long will I take part?
- 1 Day
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Study population: Movement disorder patients will be recruited from the London Movement Disorder Clinic.
Who may be able to join
- Diagnosed with a movement disorder.
Who cannot join
- Action tremor or weakness in the dominant hand interfering with writing task.
- Unable to write or understand English
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Canada1 site
Aditya Murgai
London, Ontario, N6A5A5
Aditya Murgai, MBBS, MD, DM, 5196633121, amurgai@uwo.ca
About this study
Movement disorders are a group of neurological conditions that cause problems with movement, either in the form of excessive, reduced, or slow movements. Some commonly known movement disorders include Parkinson disease, dystonia, ataxia, and Tourette syndrome. Multiple movement disorders have unique handwriting characteristics that can be measured using an inkless pen and a digitalized tablet. Handwriting is a complex skill that requires a combination of cognition, motor planning, and visuomotor integration. Handwriting deteriorates in patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
This study aims to discern variations in the kinematics (movement patterns) involved in handwriting between individuals with movement disorders and healthy controls. Participants will be invited to carry out a series of handwriting tasks. The pen motions will be captured using an inkless pen and a digitizing tablet linked to a laptop. The entire set of tasks is designed to be completed within 30 minutes. The data will then be collected, processed, and analyzed utilizing a handwriting analysis software.
Read the detailed description
Background: Handwriting is a complex skill that requires a combination of cognition, motor planning, and visuomotor integration. Various brain structures including the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum are involved in learning and performing handwriting. Many neurological disorders impact these brain structures in unique ways, leading to distinct effects on handwriting. Changes in handwriting performance are a prominent feature of Parkinson disease (PD), ataxias, and other movement disorders. Handwriting analysis can serve as a tool to distinguish and monitor the progression of movement disorders. Patients suffering from PD exhibit impairments of previously learned motor skills, including handwriting. It has been demonstrated that patients in the early stages of Parkinson disease exhibit variations in handwriting when compared to healthy individuals. The current research will investigate kinematics, visuospatial adaptation, and learning in different movement disorders through handwriting analysis.
Data collection and Measurement techniques: The subject will be seated comfortably at a table with the digitalized tablet positioned to allow a natural writing position for the subject. Pen movements will be recorded using a non-inking pen and Wacom Cintiq 16-inch digitizing tablet connected to a laptop. A practice session will be provided to each participant to familiarize them with the inkless writing pen and tablet. Before each task, participants will be given instructions on how to perform the task. Participants will be instructed to complete several writing exercises aimed at evaluating various aspects of their handwriting skills. Each task will be repeated multiple times and the entire set of handwriting exercises will be completed within 30 minutes.
- Conditions
- Movement Disorders
- Medical subject headings
- Movement Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | Diagnosed with a movement disorder | |
| Control | Healthy controls |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Primary handwriting kinematic parameter (velocity)
Average absolute vertical velocity (cm/s)
Measured: Day 1
Secondary outcomes (3)
Secondary handwriting kinematic parameter (acceleration)
Average absolute vertical acceleration (cm/s²)
Measured: Day 1
Secondary handwriting kinematic parameter (duration)
Average stroke duration (msec)
Measured: Day 1
Pen pressure
Average pen pressure (levels)
Measured: Day 1
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted31 May 2024
- Study startJan 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completionJul 2029 (estimated)
- Study completionJul 2030 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Movement DisordersStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
- Target duration
- 1 Day
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Western University, Canada
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Aditya Murgai, Western University, Canada
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06436287
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 123953
- Status last verified
- Jan 2025
- First submitted
- 6 May 2024
- Last updated
- 24 Jan 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Jan 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Handwriting Analysis in Movement Disorders.
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06436287
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 123953
- Conditions
- Movement Disorders
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Western University, CanadaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Jan 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Jul 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jul 2030 (estimated)
- First posted
- 31 May 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Movement disorders are a group of neurological conditions that cause problems with movement, either in the form of excessive, reduced, or slow movements. Some commonly known movement disorders include Parkinson disease, dystonia, ataxia, and Tourette syndrome. Multiple movement disorders have unique handwriting characteristics that can be measured using an inkless pen and a digitalized tablet. Handwriting is a complex skill that requires a combination of cognition, motor planning, and visuomotor integration. Handwriting deteriorates in patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
This study aims to discern variations in the kinematics (movement patterns) involved in handwriting between individuals with movement disorders and healthy controls. Participants will be invited to carry out a series of handwriting tasks. The pen motions will be captured using an inkless pen and a digitizing tablet linked to a laptop. The entire set of tasks is designed to be completed within 30 minutes. The data will then be collected, processed, and analyzed utilizing a handwriting analysis software.
Detailed description
Background: Handwriting is a complex skill that requires a combination of cognition, motor planning, and visuomotor integration. Various brain structures including the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum are involved in learning and performing handwriting. Many neurological disorders impact these brain structures in unique ways, leading to distinct effects on handwriting. Changes in handwriting performance are a prominent feature of Parkinson disease (PD), ataxias, and other movement disorders. Handwriting analysis can serve as a tool to distinguish and monitor the progression of movement disorders. Patients suffering from PD exhibit impairments of previously learned motor skills, including handwriting. It has been demonstrated that patients in the early stages of Parkinson disease exhibit variations in handwriting when compared to healthy individuals. The current research will investigate kinematics, visuospatial adaptation, and learning in different movement disorders through handwriting analysis.
Data collection and Measurement techniques: The subject will be seated comfortably at a table with the digitalized tablet positioned to allow a natural writing position for the subject. Pen movements will be recorded using a non-inking pen and Wacom Cintiq 16-inch digitizing tablet connected to a laptop. A practice session will be provided to each participant to familiarize them with the inkless writing pen and tablet. Before each task, participants will be given instructions on how to perform the task. Participants will be instructed to complete several writing exercises aimed at evaluating various aspects of their handwriting skills. Each task will be repeated multiple times and the entire set of handwriting exercises will be completed within 30 minutes.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Target follow-up
- 1 Day
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | – | –Diagnosed with a movement disorder |
| Control | – | –Healthy controls |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Movement disorder patients will be recruited from the London Movement Disorder Clinic.
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Diagnosed with a movement disorder.
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Action tremor or weakness in the dominant hand interfering with writing task.
- Unable to write or understand English
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Primary handwriting kinematic parameter (velocity)
Time frame: Day 1
Average absolute vertical velocity (cm/s)
3 secondary outcomes
Secondary handwriting kinematic parameter (acceleration)
Time frame: Day 1
Secondary handwriting kinematic parameter (duration)
Time frame: Day 1
Pen pressure
Time frame: Day 1
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Jan 2025.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Movement Disorders, run by Western University, Canada at 1 site in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Jan 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Aditya Murgai (519-685-8500 ext. 33121, aditya.murgai@lhsc.on.ca), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Primary handwriting kinematic parameter (velocity) (time frame: Day 1). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 Jan 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 29 Oct 2026.