Keyboard Style Could Give Early Warning of Dementia 
From: New Scientist - 08/26/2009
By: Paul Marks

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) researcher Lisa Vizer and
colleagues say that the first signs of age-related cognitive problems could
be detectable using software that monitors telltale variations in an
individual's typing patterns. The UMBC researchers have determined that an
individual's typing rhythm is distinctive and reasonably stable over time,
but that rhythm can change when under temporary stress. The researchers
wanted to know if the mental stress of a cognitive or physical condition also
would be detectable. A group of volunteers with an average of 12 years
experience typing performed several keyboard exercises, such as writing
emails, and then underwent either mental mathematics tasks to stress them
cognitively, or intense physical exercise to stress them physically. The
subjects then retook the keyboard tests to compare their performances,
focusing on factors such as keystroke length, word length, and vocabulary.
The researchers found that cognitive stress led to more changes in keystroke
characteristics and physical stress resulted in more linguistic changes.
Vizer says if monitoring software should detect a typing pattern that
deteriorates over a period of time it may suggest the user consider seeing a
doctor. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327224.200-keyboard-style-could-give-early-warning-of-dementia.html

Automated stress detection using keystroke and linguistic features: An
  exploratory study 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2009.07.005