The Possibility of Using Pictopolygraphy in the Objective Diagnosis of Affective Disorders

Abstract

The paper considers pictopolygraphic method in the objective diagnosis of affective disorders. 70 patients with symptoms of anxiety and depression were examined. Clinical psychopathologic and pictopolygraphic (by Software and Methodological Support Complex Egoscope) methods were implemented in the research. Pictopolygraphic method allows to carry out psychometric examination automatically using standardizedquestionnaires and scales while recording a number of physiological parameters: heart rate (HR), photoplethysmogram (PPG), electroencephalogram (EEG), galvanic skin response (GSR) and pictographic data. To assess the patient's subjective perception of the severity of anxiety and depressive disorders, the examinees completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).It has been established that the assessment of the condition of patients with affective disorders based exclusively on clinical and psychopathological method is not sufficiently informative and does not always correspond to the actual severity of existing affective disorders. The use of the pictographic method in the examination of patients with anxiety-depressive disorders of a non-psychotic level can optimize the diagnostic process, improve the accuracy and quality of the diagnostic findings. The basic correlations of physiological pictographic indicators with patient complaints has been determined. It has been shown that the most informative and sensitive component of the objective assessment of patients with anxiety-depressive disorders is the change of the heart rate.