Psychomotor retardation in recurrent depression and the related factors

Purpose
The article aims at presenting the current state of knowledge concerning the relationship between psychomotor retardation, balance control and modulation of bioelectric brain activity and the patient’s mental state, temperament traits and selected cognitive functions in patients suffering from recurrent depressive disorder.

Views
The article contains an overview of research published between 1998 and 2018 based on PubMed, Google Scholar databases on both the main symptoms of depression with particular focus on psychomotor functions, and the relationship between motor activity and temperament traits (in particular neuroticism, trait anxiety, depressive temperament and the dominance of the BIS – Behavioral Inhibition System over the BAS – Behavioral Activation System), as well as selected cognitive functions (e.g. processing speed, attention span, operating memory and visual-spatial memory). The latter, as reported by studies both in this group of patients (recurrent depression) and in other groups (e.g. schizophrenia) may also be lowered during the remission period. The article lists simple and easily available tools that have been used for years in neurological and psychological clinical work, along with quantitative methods of data collection (QEEG, actigraphy, posturography).

Conclusions
In patients with recurrent depressive disorders, a change in motor functions is observed, manifested by a motor retardation and changes in the balance and gait dynamics, as well as changes in the quantitative assessment of bioelectric brain activity. The relationship between these biological parameters and clinical symptoms of depression and their usefulness as biomarkers of depression is currently being evaluated in an experimental study conducted by the authors.