Perseverative dysgraphia: a selective disorder in writing double letters.
Models of writing processes postulate that abstract graphemic representations contain information about letter doubling independent of letter identity. We describe a patient, R.T., who made perseverative errors only in handwriting geminate letters, [e.g.: "CORTECCIA" (cortex)-->"CORTECCCIA"]. Perseveration was specific to orthography. To explain R.T.'s errors, we argue that after the selection of the correct graphic motor programs, the geminate feature induced a perseverative graphic behaviour. This form of dysgraphia supports the notion that graphemic representations contain specific information about letter doubling.
Venneri
A
A
Clinica Neurologica, University of Modena, Italy.
Cubelli
R
R
Caffarra
P
P
D000381:Agraphia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001072:Apraxias / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed