PERSEVERATIVE WRITING ERRORS IN A PATIENT WITH ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

This study reports the writing performance of a dysgraphic patient wit h Alzheimer's disease and moderate dementia who frequently perseverate d on strokes and letters. Letter formation errors were also frequently produced. Oral spelling was superior to written spelling. The habitua l style of writing (cursive writing) was significantly more prone to p erseverations than writing in uppercase letters, a form of writing les s frequently used by the patient. Central (linguistic) spelling proces ses were relatively preserved. The pattern of preserved and impaired f unctions is consistent with impairment of the peripheral mechanism tha t generates the graphic motor patterns code. We suggest that damage to the peripheral orthographic mechanism may cause deficits in some pati ents with Alzheimer's disease. (C) 1998 Academic Press.