Does Handwriting Speed Influence Pencil Grip Force and Muscular Activity?

Abstract

Handwriting proficiency, or fluent strokes that individualsperform without a large amount of effort and speed in order to produce an output that is readable, is not universal.Approximately 12 to 21 percent of students have difficulties writing at the elementary level (Weintraub, Gilmore- Graul and Weiss, 2010). This outcome is significant as manyhandwriting interventions are made to correct studentpencil grasp and writing mechanics. When these studentsreach university, they may be required to produce quickand efficient handwriting patterns. There is, however, limited information on the muscle activity levels and grippingforce needed to handwrite efficiently during speeded andnon-speeded situations at the university level. This studyexamined the impact of students handwriting speed (characters/min) on their hand muscle activity levels and pencilgrip force. Forty university students (25 females, 15 males)comprising 93% right-handed and 3% left-handed partici- pated in this study. Handwriting speed was measured in characters per minutes. Surface Electromyography (SEMG)was used to assess muscle activity in each participant sdominant hand. The pencil grip force was recorded usinga pen designed to measure lateral forces. A discriminantanalysis compared fast and slow handwriting performancein relation to muscle activity and gripping force. No significant differences were found between fast and slow handwriters in terms of muscle activity and grip force, F (3,36)= 0.580, p>.05. These results reflect the maturity and automaticity of university students handwriting. This uniqueprotocol holds promise for the development of remedialprograms for persons with disabilities. Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), adults with carpaltunnel syndrome, and persons recovering from stroke, forexample, could improve coordination of fine motor skillsthrough strengthening of weak muscle patterns, modifications of grasp and modulations of gripping force (Smits- Engelsman, Niemeijer and van Galen, 2001).