background In clinical practice, psychomotor deficits are currently assessed by means of observation scales. However, instrumental (including mechanical and electronic) measurement techniques might also be valuable in clinical practice.
aim To discuss the added value of using instrumental registration of psychomotor functioning into clinical practice.
method We investigated the main pros and cons of instrumental registration by searching the literature systematically and we discuss our findings using concrete examples.
results Compared to observation scales, instrumental registration yields more reliable and sensitive information about the psychomotor functioning of patients. Another advantage of instrumental registration is that it gives us an opportunity to study affected sub-processes and underlying mechanisms. However, the validity of these measurements depends on whether instrumental registration can adequately reflect aspects of a movement that can be observed clinically.
conclusion Clinical practice could benefit substantially from using instrumental registration of psychomotor disturbances in schizophrenia. However, more time and money needs to be invested in research before the new technique is fully validated and ready for use in clinical practice.