Forensic study on the effect of age and illness (Parkinsonism) on handwriting characteristics

A prospective investigation of the effects of soccer heading on cognitive and sensorimotor performances in semi-professional female players

Introduction

Repetitive head impacts (RHI) from routine soccer (football) heading have been suggested to contribute to the long-term development of neurodegenerative disorders. However, scientific evidence concerning the actual risk of these RHI on brain health remains inconclusive. Moreover, female athletes-despite a presumably increased vulnerability toward the effects of RHI-are largely underrepresented in previous approaches. Therefore, our aim was to prospectively investigate the effects of heading on cognitive and sensorimotor performances, health perception, and concussion symptoms in semi-professional female soccer players.

Methods

An extensive test battery was used to assess cognitive and sensorimotor performances as well as health status (SF-36) and concussion symptoms (SCAT3) of a total of 27 female soccer players (22.2 ± 4.2 years) and 15 control subjects (23.2 ± 3.0 years) before and after one-and-a-half years. Throughout this period, soccer players' heading exposure was determined using video analysis.

Results

Subgroup comparisons (control [n = 12], low exposure [n = 7], high exposure [n = 8]) showed no time-dependent differences in SF-36 or SCAT3 scores. Similarly, across most behavioral tests, soccer players' performances evolved equally or more favorably as compared to the control subjects. However, there were significant effects pointing toward slightly negative consequences of heading on aspects of fine motor control (p = 0.001), which were confirmed by correlation and multiple regression analyses. The latter, further, yielded indications for a relationship between heading exposure and negative alterations in postural control (p = 0.002).

Discussion

Our findings do not provide evidence for negative effects of soccer heading on female players' health perception, concussion symptoms, and cognitive performances over the course of one-and-a-half years. However, we found subtle negative alterations in fine motor and postural control that could be attributed to heading exposure. Other factors, like the number of previous head injuries, were not linked to the observed changes. Given the reduction of our initial sample size due to player fluctuation, the results need to be interpreted with caution and validated in larger-scale studies. These should not only focus on cognitive outcomes but also consider sensorimotor changes as a result of RHI from soccer heading.

comparative study of handwriting characteristics in three generation of a family in Haryanvi population

Background: Since evolution handwriting is one of the most efficient acquired characteristic by any individual. It is an amalgamation of nature and nurture. Learning begins prenatally, and children are not only “ready to learn” but already actively learning from the time they are born.  Parents lay the foundation stone of their child’s pre-writing skills. Moreover, genes also play a crucial role in determining certain characteristics of handwriting. Result: The present study focuses on determination of similarities in handwriting among three generations in 100 families through analysis of pre-defined class characteristics.  It was observed that the “Alignment” of handwriting show high level of similarity in two generations whereas the “Movement” was the only handwriting characteristics that show high level of similarity in all the three generations. Conclusion: Therefore, to conclude it can be inferred that the father-son relationship (grandfather & father or father & son) depicts majority of similarities in the handwriting characteristics which might be due to the dominance of male gene.

Forensic examination of effects of rheumatoid arthritis on handwriting characteristics

Background

Rheumatoid arthritis is known to produce deformity of the joints and muscles which can affect the handwriting of an individual significantly. Examination of such handwriting specimens can become a challenging task for the document examiners. This can affect the accuracy of their opinions upon the related cases. Thus, the present study was conducted to determine the effects of rheumatoid arthritis on handwriting characteristics qualitatively and statistically. The study also included qualitative analysis and comparison of line quality defects of copied writings and writings affected by rheumatoid arthritis.

Results

Handwriting characteristics were analyzed qualitatively and statistically in old writings vs affected writings. All these handwriting characteristics were also analyzed qualitatively in copied writings vs affected writings. The results of the study showed significant deteriorating effects of rheumatoid arthritis on almost all handwriting characteristics, except for characteristics such as slant, retouching, and overwriting. The pictorial appearance of letters in the writings executed before and after the onset of illness was even observed to appear different altogether in case of some individuals with severely affected writings. Moreover, the analysis of copied writings indicated the execution of writing by a different person. Handwriting characteristics such as slant, spacing, and alignment were observed to show insignificance in analyzing differences between copied and genuine writings affected by the illness.

Conclusion

It has been concluded that rheumatoid arthritis causes deterioration of letters, tremor, disturbed rhythm, and a huge variation in other handwriting characteristics. The copied writings have also presented line quality defects like artificial tremor, hesitations, retouching, and unnatural pen lifts at all wrong places. The determination of these peculiarities may assist the document examiners in the differentiation of copied and affected writings.