Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Graphesthesia
Introduction
Graphesthesia is the ability to recognize writing on the skin purely by the sensation of touch. Its names derives from Greek grapha (“writing”) and aisthesis (“perception”).
During medical or neurological examination this is sometimes tested in order to test for certain neurological conditions. An examiner writes single numbers or simple letters on the skin (usually the palm) with something dull like the back of pen, pen light, tongue depressor, etc. Testing positive is considered normal, testing negative (not understanding the letters) is considered non-normal and the patient may be referred to a specialist.
References
- Physical Examination and Health Assessment written by Carolyn Jarvis. (printed by Saunders/elsevier). ISBN-13: 978-0-7216-9773-4 or ISBN-10: 0-7216-9773-9.
- Medical library at the University of Utah
- Biology Online.org