title: Epistemological and methodological significance of quantitative studies of psychomotor activity for the explanation of clinical depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Psychomotor disturbances have been regarded as cardinal symptoms of depression for centuries and their objective assessment may have predictive value with respect to the severity of clinical depression, treatment outcome and prognosis of the affective disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A). Psychomotor indicators of activity and reactivity were objectively recorded and measured by means of computerized ultrasonographic craniocorpography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a statistically significant correlation between disturbances in psychomotor indicators and MADRS total score (r = 0.4; P < 0.0001). The severity of HAM-A total score had no statistically significant correlation with psychomotor indicators (P > 0.05). We found that different items of MADRS and HAM-A correlated with psychomotor disturbances of different strength and significance. Objectively, measured psychomotor retardation was associated with greater severity of depressive symptoms assessed at the clinical level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Integration between different methods is needed in order to improve understanding of the psychopathology and the neurobiology of a disputable diagnosis such as clinical depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria. petyater@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Petya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Terziivanova
authors.forename: Svetlozar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haralanov
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004453:Echoencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*