B. Sabbe et al., DEPRESSIVE RETARDATION AND TREATMENT WITH FLUOXETINE - ASSESSMENT OF THE MOTOR COMPONENT, Journal of affective disorders, 43(1), 1997, pp. 53-61
Changes in motor slowing between the start and end of treatment were s
tudied in 22 inpatients with a Major Depressive Episode and 22 normal,
healthy control persons. The degree and pattern of motor slowing were
measured and analysed using computer-aided simple drawing tasks that
did not require any higher order cognitive processing. The patients we
re treated with fluoxetine 20 mg/day for 6 weeks. Tests took place aft
er 1 week (T0) and 6 weeks (T1). At T0 patients showed marked slowing,
apparent in longer movement times and lower velocities than their con
trols. The differences between groups increased as the size of the mov
ement increased or the accuracy demands increased. In all the trials,
patients showed clear initiation difficulties. At T1 the motor slowing
of the depressed patients had improved, but not disappeared. Signific
ant differences remained between the two groups. (C) 1997 Elsevier Sci
ence B.V.