Human body movement and major depressive disorder: A multidisciplinary scoping review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61286/e-RPM.2026.449Keywords:
Major depressive disorder; Psychomotor performance; Physical therapy; Inflammation; Precision medicine; Scoping review.Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) transcends affective impairment, integrating somatic and psychomotor manifestations that shape its clinical course. This scoping review aimed to map, describe, and integrate the available evidence on human movement alterations in MDD from a multidisciplinary perspective. Following the methodological framework of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases, analyzing 20 articles through a structured qualitative procedure. The reflective synthesis was structured around four cross-cutting axes: neurobiology, clinical phenomenology, the immunometabolic pathway, and interdisciplinary evaluation. The evidence demonstrates that psychomotor retardation, postural instability, myofascial stiffness, and functional decline are constitutive dimensions of MDD, associated with frontostriatal dysfunction and systemic immunometabolic reprogramming. Physical interventions, such as physical therapy and neuromodulation, show efficacy by positively impacting central connectivity and patient affect. In conclusion, MDD must be understood as a multisystemic entity; interdisciplinary synergy is essential to transcend generic approaches and advance toward precision medicine that optimizes personalized treatment.
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