Agraphia
Agraphia is an acquired neurological disorder causing a loss in the ability to communicate through writing, either due to some form of motor dysfunction[1] or an inability to spell.
[1][3] The study of individuals with agraphia may provide more information about the pathways involved in writing, both language related and motoric.
[3] Agraphia cannot be directly treated, but individuals can learn techniques to help regain and rehabilitate some of their previous writing abilities.
[4] Agraphia or impairment in producing written language can occur in many ways and many forms because writing involves many cognitive processes (language processing, spelling, visual perception, visuospatial orientation for graphic symbols, motor planning, and motor control of handwriting).
[1] Additionally, some individuals with cerebellar lesions (more typically associated with non-apraxic motor dysfunction) develop apraxic agraphia.
[2] For the management of phonological agraphia, individuals are trained to memorize key words, such as a familiar name or object, that can then help them form the grapheme for that phoneme.
[2] Management of allographic agraphia can be as simple as having alphabet cards so the individual can write legibly by copying the correct letter shapes.
[2] There are few rehabilitation methods for apraxic agraphia; if the individual has considerably better hand control and movement with typing than they do with handwriting, then they can use technological devices.
[2] Micrographia is a condition that can occur with the development of other disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, and is when handwriting becomes illegible because of small writing.
[2] In 1553 Thomas Wilson's book Arte of Rhetorique held the earliest known description of what would now be called acquired agraphia.
Paul Broca's work on aphasia during this time inspired researchers across Europe and North America to begin conducting studies on the correlation between lesions and loss of function in various cortical areas.
[4] During the 1850s, clinicians such as Armand Trousseau and John Hughlings Jackson held the prevailing view that the same linguistic deficiency occurred in writing as well as speech and reading impairments.
[4] In 1867, William Ogle, who coined the term agraphia, made several key observations about the patterns of dissociation found in written and spoken language.
Although Ogle's review helped make important advancements toward understanding writing disorders, a documented case of pure agraphia was missing.
[4] In 1884, over two decades after the research of acquired language disorders began, Albert Pitres made an important contribution when he published a clinical report of pure agraphia.
From these studies, researches gained significant insight into the complex cognitive process of producing written language.
