AUTHOR=Iliadi Konstantin G. , Gluscencova Oxana B. , Boulianne Gabrielle L. TITLE=Psychomotor Behavior: A Practical Approach in Drosophila JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry VOLUME=7 YEAR=2016 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00153 DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00153 ISSN=1664-0640 ABSTRACT=

Psychomotor behaviors are governed by fine relationships between physical activity and cognitive functions. Disturbances in psychomotor development and performance are a hallmark of many mental illnesses and often appear as observable and measurable behaviors. Here, we describe a new method called an “equilibrist test,” which can be used to quantify psychomotor learning and performance in Drosophila. We also show how this test can be used to quantify motor disturbances at relatively early stages in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.