FINE MOTOR RETARDATION AND DEPRESSION

New computerized techniques allow the precise measurement of psychomot or retardation in patients with a major depressive episode (MDE). One such technique is the analysis of writing and drawing behaviour during figure copying tasks. In the present study, 22 inpatients with an MDE were compared to 22 normal-controls. Three tasks were used: the drawi ng of lines and simple figures, the copying of complex figures and a t ask in which figures had to be rotated. Objectives were to provide sup port for earlier findings that the patients were slower than the contr ols and to explore the cognitive and motor processes involved. Two str ategies were applied: analysis of the reaction time and movement time and their different components, and manipulation of the cognitive and motor demands. Patients showed considerable retardation with most of t he kinematic variables. Motor deficits and cognitive slowing down cont ributed to this retardation. Cognitive difficulties increased with inc reasing complexity of the task. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Lt d.