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M Schleidt

Publications and source records attributed to M Schleidt.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Temporal segmentation of human short-term behavior in everyday activities and interview sessions.

Human behavior is structured by serial order and timing of functionally related groups of movements with a duration of a few seconds. These elementary action units have been described in ethological studies during unstaged everyday behavior, but not during interview sessions. Psychomotor alterations are relevant for differential diagnosis and treatment, and psychiatric patients are generally evaluated during interview sessions. Therefore the time structure of upper limb movements (n = 764) of healthy subjects (n = 22) were studied using videotaped interviews and frame-by-frame analysis and compared to movements (n = 530) of unstaged human everyday behavior (n = 154). The number of action units, but not their duration, was correlated inversely with self-reported impairment of mood and pleasure experience in healthy persons. The temporal distribution of movements in interview sessions did not differ from the time patterns of everyday behavior. This method could be a promising tool to investigate time patterns of movements and psychomotor alterations in psychiatric patients during interview sessions.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Timing of movements in depressed patients and healthy controls.

BACKGROUND: Psychomotor disturbances are fundamental psychopathological features of major depression and observable components of behaviour. Human behaviour is segmented into action units with duration of a few seconds due to central nervous motor processing. Timing may depend on cognitive and emotional functions which are affected in depression. Therefore, time structure of action units in depressed patients was compared to healthy controls. METHODS: Included were patients with major depression and melancholic features. Upper limb movements (total n = 566) of depressed patients and matched controls were evaluated using videotaped interviews and frame-by-frame analysis with a temporal resolution of 40 ms. RESULTS: Behaviour of depressed patients in interview sessions was organised in action units with a narrow time span of only a few seconds. Single, non-repetitive action units were significantly shorter (median = 1.20 s) and repetitive units longer (median = 4.92 s) in patients compared to controls (median = 2.08 and 2.96, respectively). LIMITATIONS: Behaviour in interview sessions might differ from activities of daily living. DISCUSSION: Altered temporal segmentation of movements appears to be an observable, measurable sign of melancholic depression and may allow further insights in pathophysiological dysfunctions of the disease. Clinical implications of these motor changes for differential diagnosis, course and treatment of depression are discussed and need further evaluation.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Temporal organisation of action in baboons: comparisons with the temporal segmentation in chimpanzee and human behaviour.

The durations of sequences of functionally related movements, or action units, were analysed in the baboons Papio hamadryas and Papio anubis. Action units are completed within a narrow time span or temporal segment as found previously in pongids and humans. Although the temporal segmentation is generally similar in the three species, baboons show several differences from both chimpanzees and humans. Firstly, their temporal segments are shorter and less variable and the different sorts of action units, such as hand-body contact or interactions with an object, show slight but significant differences in duration. Secondly, those action units that consist of movements occurring twice last almost twice as long as action units without repetitions. In contrast, in chimpanzees and humans, repetition of a set of movements compresses the first set so that the action unit duration does not increase. This is thought to be due to a form of presyntactical motor planning. Its absence in baboons shows that presyntactical motor planning is confined to those primates with language ability and so provides further support for a relationship between motor and language systems.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Universal time constants in movements of deaf-blind children].

Most human movements are structured in units consisting of a few seconds. This phenomenon may be based upon an inherent central nervous rhythm. The question of this study was whether the movements of children born deaf and blind are structured in a similar way. On a film cutting table, 233 movements were analyzed frame by frame. It could be confirmed that the movements of deaf and blind children were also structured in temporal units. Differences with non-handicapped, however, consist in the fact that these units were shorter and more stereotypic repetitions occurred. The present data are discussed in connection with the processing of momentary information in short term memory and the self stimulation by those deprived of hearing and sight.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

The importance of human odour in non-verbal communication.

Approximately one-third of the human subjects could identify their own odour and that of their partner among 10 subjects. Nearly 50% consistently identified their own odour, or that of their partner, incorrectly. One-third of the subjects were capable of distinguishing between male and femal odour. Asked to attach the attributes 'pleasant', 'indifferent' or 'unpleasant' to several odour, the subjects judged femal odours more often pleasant and less often unpleasant than male odours. Women judged their own odours more often pleasant and less than unpleasant, men on the contrary their own odours more often unpleasant and less often pleasant. Both sexes judged the odour of their partner more often pleasant than unpleasant.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Segmentation of behavior and time structure of movements in depressed patients.

Psychomotor alterations are fundamental psychopathological features of major depression and observable components of behavior. Human behavior is segmented into action units with a duration of a few seconds. Cognitive and emotional dysfunctions in depression may affect the time structure of movements. Therefore, upper limb movements (total n = 707) of depressed patients and matched healtyh controls were studied using videotaped interviews and frame-by-frame analysis with an accuracy of 40 ms. Both groups displayed a similar temporal distribution, but nonrepetitive action units were significantly shorter (median = 1.16 s) and repetitive units longer (median = 4.92 s) in depressed patients compared to controls (median = 1.93 and 3.01, respectively). Movement alterations were related to anhedonia and subjective severity of depression. Altered time structure of movements represents an observable psychopathological sign and may be relevant for pathophysiological and behavioral aspects in depression.

Adult↗