[Reactivity and the need for stimulation in affective syndromes]

Twelve patients with endogenous depression and 13 health persons were investigated with the questionnaire FCZ KT (for measurement of temperament) and computerized Wiener Testsystem (for the evaluation of cognitive functions). Depressive patients expressed higher level of reactivity and a lower need for stimulation in comparison to a control group. In terms of temperamental characteristics (by FCZ KT test) the depressive group was less alert, more perseverative, less sensitive and more fatigued than the control group. The group with depression scored higher on scales measuring anxiety as a state and as a trait. No significant differences between the groups in physiological parameters measured by Wiener Testsystem were found.