Abstract
BackgroundRheumatoid 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.ResultsHandwriting 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.ConclusionIt 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.
Highlights
Rheumatoid arthritis is known to produce deformity of the joints and muscles which can affect the handwriting of an individual significantly
While multiple studies have elucidated the immense effect of old age and illness on handwriting (Osborn 1929; Quirke 1930; Brewester 1932; Baker 1950; Hilton 1956, 1977; Harrison 1966; Miller, 1987; Saini 2015), the present study aims to analyze the effects of rheumatoid arthritis on handwriting characteristics, both qualitatively and statistically, and determine whether it is possible to compare the concerned writings executed under the influence of rheumatoid arthritis with those written before the onset of the illness
The CH samples showed an overall deterioration of rhythm; these were due to the occurrence of hesitations at all wrong places in the strokes (Fig. 1b)
Summary
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. The present study was conducted to determine the effects of rheumatoid arthritis on handwriting characteristics qualitatively and statistically. The study included qualitative analysis and comparison of line quality defects of copied writings and writings affected by rheumatoid arthritis. The study includes qualitative analysis and comparison of the copied writings with the handwriting samples of people affected by RA to determine the characteristics which can be used in the identification and differentiation of these writings
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