Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T00:47:12.391Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Psychological testing in depressive illness 1. Psychomotor performance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

J. Gill
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
D. J. De L. Horne*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
*
1Address for reprints and correspondence: D. J. de L. Horne, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3052, Australia.

Sysnopsis

This paper presents findings from a controlled investigation of psychomotor performance in depression and mania to test Court's (1968) continuum model. This model proposes that, unlike the common bipolar view of depression and mania, there is a continuum ranging from normal, through depression, to mania. Simple reaction time measures did not confirm this hypothesis. However, results of more complex psychomotor performance did provide some confirmation, and, also, provided evidence of a ‘central processing’ deficit in both manic and depressed subjects.

Type
Preliminary Communication
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1974

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Brower, D., and Oppenheim, S. (1951). The effects of electro-shock therapy on mental functions as revealed by psychological tests. Journal of General Psychology. 45, 171188.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colbert, J., and Harrow, M. (1967). Psychomotor retardation in depressive syndromes. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 145, 405419.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Court, J. H. (1968). Manic-depressive psychosis: an alternative conceptual model. British Journal of Psychiatry. 114, 15231530.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Friedman, A. S. (1964). Minimal effects of severe depression on cognitive functioning. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. 69, 237243.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Horne, D. J. de L. (1973). Sensorimotor control in Parkinsonism. Journal of Neurology, Nerosurgery and Psychiatry. 36, 742746.Google ScholarPubMed
Martin, I., and Rees, L. (1966). Reaction times and somatic reactivity in depressed patients. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 9, 375382.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mayo, P. R. (1966). Speed and accuracy of depressives on a spiral maze test. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 23, 1034.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morgan, W. P. (1967). Selected physiological and psycho-motor correlates of depression in psychiatric patients. Dissertation Abstracts, 28, 2086–A.Google Scholar
Talland, G. A. (1962). The effect of age on speed of simple manual skill. Journal of Genetic Psychology. 100, 6976.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Talland, G. A., and Schwab, R. S. (1964). Performance with multiple sets in Parkinson's disease. Neuropsychologia, 2 4553.CrossRefGoogle Scholar