SONKAYA APPROACHES

FOR THE USING TECHNIQUES OF HANDWRITING ANALYSIS RELATED BY

NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

applications for neurological disorders document examination

Zeynep Z. Bayazt, PhD Ali A.

A. Rza Sonkaya, MD
 SONKAYA APPROACHES
FOR THE USING TECHNIQUES OF HANDWRITING ANALYSIS RELATED BY
NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

applications for neurological disorders document examination

 SONKAYA APPROACHES
FOR THE USING TECHNIQUES OF HANDWRITING ANALYSIS RELATED BY
NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

applications for neurological disorders document examination

Zeynep Zeliha BAYAZIT,PhD

Ali Rza SONKAYA,MD

The MIT Press

Cambridge Massachussets
London,England
Cover art produced using handwriting samples from a patient with significant handwriting impairment associated with Parkinsons disease.
Color image of the human cortex compliments of Hauke Bartsch of The
Brain Observatory, University of California, San Diego. The red region of this image corresponds to the left
superior parietal lobe, the primary cortical region thought to govern handwriting.

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CONTENTS Page
Foreword.. i
Preface.. ii
Acknowledgements v
The Authors.. vi

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO NEUROANATOMY .......................................................... ..1

1.1.Clinic Anatomy (Abstract) ......................................................................................... ..1
1.1.1. Central Nervous System ...................................................................................... ..1
1.1.2. Peripheral Nervous System ................................................................................. .1
1.2. History of Handwriting Analysis............................................................................... .3
1.3. Basal Ganglia as a Source of Exploratory Drive: A Model for Reaching...22
1.3.1. Neuroanatomy of Basal Ganglia .......................................................................... 22
1.3.2. Reward signaling in basal ganglia: How rewards lead to learning?..................... 25
1.3.3. Computational Models of Basal Ganglia .............................................................. 27
1.3.4. Present Model ....................................................................................................... 33
1.3.5. Architecture of proposed model ........................................................................... 33
1.3.6. Training phase: Exploration and consolidation ................................................... 42
1.3.7. Summary ................................................................................................................ 45

CHAPER 2: AN OSCILLATORY NEUROMOTOR MODEL OF HANDWRITING

GENERATION
2.1. Handwriting and Handwriting Generation .................................................................... 9
2.2. Models of Handwriting ................................................................................................... 9
2.2.1. Hollerbachs oscillation theory of handwriting .................................................... 10
2.2.2. Schomakers model................................................................................................ 11
2.2.3. Kalverams model ..................................................................................................12
2.2.4. Plamondans model............................................................................................... 12
2.2.5. AVITEWRITE model .............................................................................................13
2.2.6. Present Model ........................................................................................................ 14
2.2.7. Single oscillator model .......................................................................................... 15
2.2.8.Sublayer model: Ring of oscillators ....................................................................... 16
2.3. Preparing the network state .. 17
2.3.1. The timing network .................................................................................................... 20
 2.3.2. Network response....................................................................................................... 21
2.3.3.Training ....................................................................................................................... 25
2.3.4.Summary ..................................................................................................................... 26

CHAPTER 3: NEUROLOGIC DISORDERS AND HANDWRITING ....................................... 1

3.1. Handwriting as a Diagnostic Tool ............................................................................. 1
3.2. Computational Models of Handwriting Generation .................................................. 2
3.3.Computational Neuroscience and Disease Models .................................................... 5
3.4.Organization of the Report .......................................................................................... 7

CHPTER 4: PRACTISES FOR NEUROGICAL DISORDERS DOCUMENT EXAMINATION

4.1. Understanding Essential Tremor Handwriting through a Computational Model
4.1.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 50
4.1.2. Essential Tremor Disease ...................................................................................... 51
4.1.3. Handwriting in Essential Tremors Disease and Need for a Computational Model
4.1.4. Literature review of Models of Essential Tremors Disease ................................ 55
4.1.5. Present Model ........................................................................................................ 57
4.1.6. Summary ................................................................................................................

4.2. Understanding Essential Tremor Handwriting through a Computational Model

4.2.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 50
4.2.2. Parkinson Disease .................................................................................................. 51
4.2.3. Handwriting in Parkinson Disease and Need for a Computational Model
4.2.4. Literature review of Models of Parkinson Disease ............................................... 55
4.2.5. Present Model ........................................................................................................ 57
4.2.6. Summary..

4.3. Understanding Multiple Sclerosis Handwriting through a Computational Model

4.3.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 50
4.3.2. Multiple Sclerosis Disease..................................................................................... 51
4.3.3. Handwriting in Multiple Sclerosis Disease and Need for a Computational Model
4.3.4. Literature review of Models of Multiple Sclerosis Disease ................................. 55
4.3.5. Present Model ........................................................................................................ 57
4.3.6. Summary..

BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Foreword
Handwriting is considered as a representative of human behavior and characteristics for centuries.
With the evolution of modern computing technologies, researchers have moved towards the automated
analysis of handwriting. This shift has been reinforced by the interest various industries have in this
field.

As aptly noted in The National Academies of Sciences 2009 Report, Strengthening Neuroscience in
the United Kingdom: A Path Forward, [t]he specialists greatest dilemma in its heavy reliance on
medical evidenceconcerns the question of whetherand to what extentthere is science in any
given neuroscience discipline. Your honor is indeed honored to write brief introductory remarks on
this well-researched and well-written book which contains pertinent and reliable scientific knowledge
integrated by the authors with respect to handwriting authentication. These authors have taken the
necessary steps to open doors to advancing the neuroscience of handwriting forward by conducting
their extensive neurobiological, neuroanatomical, and neurochemical research on how the complex
regions of the brain such as the cortical and sub-cortical regions manage hand movements. They
provide empirical data for the scientific communities to understand how neurological diseases process
affect handwriting.

As a state expert of general Neurology for 22 years, I am impressed by the extensive work performed
and contained by these two well-qualifid experts, Zeynep Zeliha BAYAZIT, Ph.D. and Ali Rza
SONKAYA, MD. The authors not only provide the backdrop for understanding motor control
regarding handwriting but also describe how the neurological disease process affects motor control
and handwriting. Their work suggests to patients with neurological disorder document examiners that
accurate measures of stroke length and calculating the upstroke/downstroke ratio or diffrence can
increase the scientific validity and reliability of specialists of authenticity. Also the authors present
their laboratorial data and conclusions regarding the effcts that disease process have on handwriting.

With this book, these experts inspire us as scientific and professionals to further explore how disease
process affect the handwriting. These two authors, through their extensive work, have begun the
necessary dialogue for specialists, document examiner, educators and researchers, as recommended by
the National Academies of Science, regarding the Neurosciences. These experts are not only talking
the talk, but are walking the walk, by conducting empirical research with neuroanatomical bases in
order to validate whether and if so, how much science is within the fild of handwriting authentication

Jacob G. Dubroff ,PhD

i
Preface

Th neurobiological understanding of handwriting stems from decades of fundamental research in the

filds of motor control, neuroscience, kinematics, and robotics. This book is an attempt to integrate
these filds and facilitate a more scientifif approach to the evaluation of questioned handwriting. This
book comes at a time when the validity and reliability of document examination is being closely
scrutinized. A review of the status of questioned document examination by the National Academy of
Sciences in 2009 concluded that the scientifif basis for the comparison of handwriting needed to be
strengthened. The NAS report underscored the need for fundamental scientifif inquiry into the validity
and reliability of documentexamination.

Decades of laboratory research in handwriting have given us the tools necessary to elucidate normal
and pathological processes underlying handwriting production. Unfortunately, these principles are
rarely incorporated into modern research on neurogical disease document examination. The
overarching goal of this book is to educate the reader on the relevant neuroscientific principles
underlying normal and pathological hand motor control and handwriting and to bridge the gap
between theory and practice with examples from recent and ongoing laboratory studies.

The idea for this book grew from discussions during and following to the doctorate lessons presented
the Neuroscience Questioned Document Examiners Practice. While these lessons explored a wide
range of topics,including the neuroanatomy of motor control, disease conditions that affect
handwriting, and kinematic approaches to quantifying these effects, the workshop format allowed for
only surface treatment of these important topics. The many intuitive questions, case presentations, and
thoughtful discussions that took place during these lessons were a valuable impetus for the
organization and content of this book.

In this book, we provide a general background on the fundamentals of motor control, with specific
reference to handwriting. Fundamental principles in the neuroanatomy of hand motor control are
presented in Chapter 1. Chapters 2 and 3 provide backgrounds in theories of motor control and their
application to research in handwriting, respectively. Chapter 4 presents an overview of common
neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsons disease, essential tremor and multiple sclerosis. This
chapter focuses on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and motor characteristics of neurological
disease.

ii
Today, research into static features associated with diffrent signing behaviors can be supplemented by
dynamic studies where kinematic data are collected from subjects signing on digitizing tablets. This
technique has been used to report on the effects of disguise and simulation behaviors in terms of pen
pressure, stroke formation, and movement duration .These chapters review the literature and present
current laboratory research further bridging the gap between theory and practice. Based on our
understanding of the principles of motor control, we are able to test specific hypotheses about whether
a handwriting is the product of highly programmed motor behavior to be tested in practice.

We hope the book will have wide appeal to the researchers and educators in the filds of motor control
and clinical neuroscience. For those seeking to understand the interactions between variability in the
brains response to disease and medications taken to treat disease and the extraordinary and complex
process of handwriting, we hope this book raises new questions and opens new doors to the scientific
process of signature and handwriting authentication.

Zeynep Zeliha Bayazt & Ali Rza Sonkaya

iii
Acknowledgements

This is my sincere gratitude to my research guide Prof.Dr. Jacob G. Dubroff for his constant
support, guidance and encouragement throughout the project and without whose help the
completion of this book would have been difficult. His enthusiasm for the subject has been
a great of source of inspiration for me.

I thank Dr. Johanna Bell, University of London State for healthy criticism and stimulating
conversation in the middle of the research work. Also I want to thank Prof. Christopher
Evans for his contribution to transferred handwriting in Neurology area, his valuable
suggestions, his encouragement in doing research on handwriting in Edinburgh University.

I thank Prof.Dr.lk elik avk and Dr. Oxana Dorr for their encouragement in doing
research in computational neuroscience.

I am grateful to my parents Suna & Sabri for their patience and all of their helps in my
research process. support and encouragement. I am glad to thank my brother smail and also
my sisters Merve and Kevser. Again I would like to thank him his support, his believe and
encouragement. I really feel very lucky myself because of his existence in my life.

Zeynep Zeliha Bayazt

iv
Acknowledgements

First of all, I would like to express my gratitudes to my lecturers Prof. Dr.Mehmet

SARAOLU and Prof.Dr.Mehmet Fatih ZDA who put forth the great time and effort to
endear Neurology to me.I am deeply greatful to Dr.Nurettin YYT for his motivation and
friendly tolerence and drawing figures for this work. Last but not least, I would also like to
thank my familiy fot their constant support,patience and encouragement throughout my
studies. This work is dedicated to my parenst Sevgi&Suat and my doughter Seda...

Ali Rza SONKAYA

v
The Authors

Zeynep Zeliha Bayazt, is a academic personnel at Ankara University Department of

Linguistic, Turkey. She has been a forensic document examiner for
3 years. She is certified by the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners and holds a
certificate in document examination from the Forensic Science Society in Edinburgh. She
is a member of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners. Her research
interests are Applied Linguistic, Neurolinguistic and Neuroscience. Her current research
interest focuses on empirical studies of impaired handwriting authentication in forensic and
medical areas.

Ali Rza Sonkaya, is a Senior Neurologist at Okmeydan Training and Reseach Hospital,
Turkey. Dr. Sonkaya graduated at Glhane Military Medical Academy and he received his
speciality from GATA Haydarpaa Training Hospital. His doctoral research was based on the
movement disorders. His current research interests are Neuroscience, movement and
neurodegeneretive disorders. He is a member of the Society of Turkish Neurology and
Neuropsychiatry.

vi