To better understand the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s disease on patients with Down syndrome, Doctor Michael Rafii observed the signature of his patient over a 12-year period, as shown above.
Named ‘Irma’, her first signature was collected in 1999, where it was clearly imprinted on the line in script writing. Six years later, her signature was in block letters. By 2009, Irma spelt her name incorrectly. In the subsequent years, Irma’s signature largely differed from its initial one, till it was left completely blank in the last year.
Down syndrome is a genetic disorder associated with intellectual disability. Individuals afflicted with Down syndrome are particularly susceptible to Alzheimer’s, where the condition will be intensified for them.
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[via Elite Daily, image via University of California San Diego]