title: Psychomotor performance of psychiatric inpatients under therapy: assessment by paper and pencil tests.
abstract: Fifty psychiatric inpatients included in the study were diagnosed as having substance related disorder, schozophrenia, bipolar disorder, depressive disorder or anxiety disorder based on DSM-IV and ICD-10. All the patients were on multiple drug therapy for a minimum of 7 days in the hospital. The psychomotor performance score assessed with the help of the six letter cancellation test and the digit letter substitution test was compared with a matched group of 50 normal volunteers. The significantly low scores for patients may be considered indicative of the fact that prolonged therapy would be required to attain normal psychomotor status. Thus, simple paper and pencil tests may provide valuable information in assessment of psychomotor and cognitive functions of psychiatric patients during recovery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana 141008, India.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kalra
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Natu
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Dadhich
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Deswal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs