Multidimensionality of psychological recovery from anaesthesia

Six recovery tests, choice reaction time (CRT), CRT doubletask, finger tapping test (FTT), critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF), Maddox wing, and p-deletion test, which cover basic cognitive, motor and perceptive functions as well as concentration, were analysed and compared with each other. Correlation between these tests after recovery from standardised general anaesthesia was calculated in 22 patients. Moderate to high correlation was found between CRT and CRT doubletask (r = 0.62 to r = 0.73), when parameters of six different tests were compared. Finger tapping correlated moderately with the movement time of both the CRT and the CRT doubletask (r = 0.46 and r = 0.47 respectively). We concluded that the CRT test, which measures initiation and movement time, might replace the CRT doubletask and the FTT. The CFF correlated moderately with the initiation time of the CRT doubletask, but because a slightly different function seems to be involved, further research is needed. Maddox wing and the p-deletion test correlated with no other test. Results indicated that recovery is differentiated in at least four distinct psychomotor functions, which should be tested by CRT (to measure initiation and movement time), Maddox wing and p-deletion.