Knott V J, Lapierre Y D
Biol Psychiatry. 1987 Mar;22(3):313-24. doi: 10.1016/0006-3223(87)90149-1.
Psychomotor retardation is a frequently observed clinical feature of depressive states. This study attempted to assess the relationship between response slowness and central nervous system (CNS) activity by examining cortical evoked potentials (EPs) during psychomotor task performance. Patients consisted of 21 women who met Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) and exhibited a minimum Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score of 18 at the end of a drug washout period, the scheduled time of testing. The same number of normal women with no history of psychiatric illness were employed as controls. Cortical EPs from Cz and integrated electromyogram (EMG) from the dominant forearm extensor were recorded and time-locked to warning and imperative stimuli of a standard, two-choice, fixed foreperiod reaction time (RT) task, which yielded behavioral measures of decision time (DT) and movement time (MT). Analysis focused on behavioral RTs, latency and amplitudes of EMG, sensory and slow cortical (CNV) EPs, and measures of input time (IPT), central processing time (CPT), and motor execution time (MET), derived from combinations of EP and EMG peak latencies. Patients exhibited slower DT and MT response times, delayed EMG latencies, and attenuated EP amplitudes. The derived CPT measure was also significantly longer in patients. These findings support the view that a central dysfunction is implicated in psychomotor retardation, and the results are discussed in relation to information processing theory.
精神运动迟缓是抑郁状态中常见的临床特征。本研究试图通过在精神运动任务执行过程中检测皮层诱发电位（EP）来评估反应迟缓与中枢神经系统（CNS）活动之间的关系。患者包括21名符合研究诊断标准（RDC）且在药物洗脱期结束（即预定测试时间）时汉密尔顿抑郁量表评分至少为18分的女性。选取相同数量无精神疾病史的正常女性作为对照。记录来自Cz的皮层EP以及优势前臂伸肌的积分肌电图（EMG），并将其与标准的二选一、固定前刺激间隔反应时（RT）任务的警告和指令刺激进行时间锁定，该任务可得出决策时间（DT）和运动时间（MT）的行为测量值。分析重点在于行为反应时、EMG的潜伏期和振幅、感觉及慢皮层（CNV）EP，以及从EP和EMG峰值潜伏期组合得出的输入时间（IPT）、中枢处理时间（CPT）和运动执行时间（MET）测量值。患者表现出较慢的DT和MT反应时间、延迟的EMG潜伏期以及衰减的EP振幅。患者的CPT测量值也明显更长。这些发现支持了精神运动迟缓与中枢功能障碍有关的观点，并根据信息处理理论对结果进行了讨论。
