E-ISSN : 2733-4538
The present study was designed to examine the effect of depressive mood on the functional asymmetry in motor performance. Participants were screened out of 360 college students on the basis of the BDI-II score: cut-off score of 14 for the High Depression Group (upper 20%) and 5 for the Low Depression Group (lower 20%). The participants in this study were all right-handed and matched for gender; 32 depressed students (16 males and 16 females) and 32 non-depressed students (16 males and 16 females). A hand dynamometer was used as a standardized measure of asymmetric motor function. The results showed that in males, there was a significant Group by Hand interaction effect. The mean grip strength of the right hand was significantly higher than that of the left hand for the Low Depression Group, whereas the High Depression Group did not show significantly greater right-hand grip strength. However, no such significant interaction effect was observed in females. The result of this study are consistent with the current neuropsychological model indicating relatively low activation of the left hemisphere in depression.
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