Movement analysis in the diagnosis of depression and schizophrenia: a systematic review

Movement analysis plays a significant role in psychiatry. In the case of depression and schizophrenia movement abnormalities (like catatonia and psychomotor retardation) are important information for clinicians. While movement is often observed through clinical examination, recent advancements in technology have enhanced the objectivity and precision of these assessments. Numerous studies have identified distinct motor patterns in both depression and schizophrenia, ranging from gait and posture to fine motor skills and non-verbal communication gestures. This systematic review examines the last five years of research on movement differences between individuals with depression or schizophrenia and healthy controls. The goal was to identify specific motor characteristics linked to these psychiatric disorders. Searches in four electronic databases (ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed) were conducted. After the screening process and study selection, 24 articles (13 for depression and 11 for schizophrenia) were selected and reviewed in this study. The process of this review followed the PRISMA guidelines. The results show that individuals with depression often display slower and less dynamic movements, while schizophrenia is associated with motor abnormalities, including slower gait, impaired gesture performance, and deficits in fine motor functioning. These findings support the development of AI-assisted diagnostic tools by providing crucial insights into the specific movement differences that should be prioritized in research, helping to identify which types of movement data are most indicative of depression and schizophrenia for accurate AI-based diagnostics.