Independent representations for cursive and print style: Evidence from dysgraphia in Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

In this paper we describe two mild Alzheimer's disease patients (AF and EZ) who show a double dissociation in written production of cursive and print styles. We analysed their performance on a number of different tasks. Both had no major difficulty in reading, direct copying, or spelling but displayed contrasting patterns of impairment in writing using different styles. AF was impaired when asked to write in cursive, whereas EZ was impaired when requested to write in print. The patients showed no general impairment in retrieving visual forms, but both failed a letter form judgement task, only for the affected style. Evidence from their overall performance adds support to opposing patterns of impairments in both patients. The double dissociation shown by AF's and EZ's performance strengthens previous arguments for independent representations of cursive and print style.