Psychomotor retardation

Psychomotor retardation
Other names	Psychomotor impairment, motormental retardation, psychomotor slowing
Specialty	Psychiatry

Psychomotor retardation involves a slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movements in an individual. It can cause a visible slowing of physical and emotional reactions, including speech and affect.^[1]

Psychomotor retardation is most commonly seen in people with major depression and in the depressed phase of bipolar disorder;^[2] it is also associated with the adverse effects of certain drugs, such as benzodiazepines.^[3]

Causes

• Psychiatric disorders: anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, schizophrenia, severe depression, etc.
• Psychiatric medicines (if taken as prescribed or improperly, overdosed, or mixed with alcohol)
• Parkinson's disease^[4]
• Genetic disorders: Qazi–Markouizos syndrome, Say–Meyer syndrome, Tranebjaerg-Svejgaard syndrome, Wiedemann–Steiner syndrome, Wilson's disease, etc.

Examples

Examples of psychomotor retardation include the following:

In schizophrenia, activity level may vary from psychomotor retardation to agitation; the patient experiences periods of listlessness and may be unresponsive, and at the next moment be active and energetic.^[5]

See also

• Psychomotor learning
• Psychomotor agitation
• Disorders of diminished motivation

References

1. Tryon, W.W., 1991. Activity Measurement in Psychology and Medicine. Springer Publishing /Plenum Press. doi:10.1007/978-1-4757-9003-0
2. Buyukdura JS, McClintock SM, Croarkin PE (2011). "Psychomotor retardation in depression: biological underpinnings, measurement, and treatment". Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 35 (2): 395–409. doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2010.10.019. PMC 3646325. PMID 21044654.
3. Allgulander, C.; Bandelow, B.; Hollander, E.; Montgomery, SA.; Nutt, DJ.; Okasha, A.; Pollack, MH.; Stein, DJ.; et al. (Aug 2003). "WCA recommendations for the long-term treatment of generalized anxiety disorder". CNS Spectr. 8 (8 Suppl 1): 53–61. doi:10.1017/S1092852900006945. PMID 14767398. S2CID 32761147.
4. "Psychomotor retardation". healthool.com. 8 November 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
5. Frith, Christopher D. (1 January 1995). "HOW DO THE BEHAVIOURAL ABNORMALITIES OF SCHIZOPHRENIA RELATE TO THE BRAIN?". The cognitive neuropsychology of schizophrenia. Lawrence Erlbaum. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-86377-334-1. Retrieved 13 December 2010. "Psychomotor retardation" is a phenomenon, often observed in neurological patients, which has much in common with the negative features of schizophrenia. Benson (1990), for example, includes the following...

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