Kinematical analysis of handwriting movements in depressed patients.
OBJECTIVE
Motor disturbances are a relevant aspect of depression. Kinematical analysis of movements can be applied to explore which type of motor dysfunction is associated with depression. We hypothesized that depressed patients draw and write significantly slower than controls and that motor disturbances become more pronounced under bi-manual demands.


METHODS
We examined 37 depressed patients and 37 healthy controls using a digitizing graphic tablet and subsequent kinematical analysis of handwriting and rapid drawing movements.


RESULTS
Depressed patients performed drawing with significantly less regular velocity than controls (P < 0.001), but normal velocity. Motor differences between patients and controls did not increase under bi-manual demands. Handwriting of patients was abnormally slow (P = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
Irregular patterns of velocity peaks in depressed patients point to basal ganglia dysfunction and/or deficient activity of the sensorimotor cortex and the supplementary motor area as a possible substrate of hand-motor disturbances in depression.
Mergl
R
R
Laboratory of Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany. roland.mergl@psy.med.uni-muenchen.de
Juckel
G
G
Rihl
J
J
Henkel
V
V
Karner
M
M
Tigges
P
P
Schröter
A
A
Hegerl
U
U
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires