The way people write by hand may provide important clues about their brain health, according to a new study that links handwriting patterns to cognitive decline and dementia risk in older adults. Researchers at the University of Évora in Portugal found that changes in writing speed, coordination and timing can help identify signs of cognitive impairment before more obvious symptoms appear. The findings suggest that handwriting analysis could eventually become a simple and affordable tool for detecting early-stage dementia.

The study involved 58 care-home residents aged 62 to 92. Of those, 38 participants had previously been diagnosed with some type of cognitive impairment.

The scientists asked participants to complete a number of handwriting exercises using a digital pen and tablet, allowing researchers to closely analyze their movements and writing behavior.