Writer's cramp, crampe des écrivains, scrivener's palsy, graphospasm or mogigraphia may be defined as a condition of inco-ordination of the small muscles of the hand which appears only when attempting to write. The various names given to this condition emphasize that cramp or spasm is the predominant feature, and Osler thought that it was an early symptom. As the principal nerves and muscles are often intact and movements of a wider range can be carried out efficiently, the condition appears to be a functional disturbance of co-ordination.