Invited commentary: The vascular apathy hypothesis and its meaning for clinicians

For geriatric psychiatrists, apathy is one of the most challenging syndromes to diagnose and treat. Although it is a common syndrome characterized by a lack of motivation1, it is striking to observe how frequently apathy is missed or misdiagnosed in clinical settings. It often underlies treatment resistance, which can leave patients, caregivers, and clinicians feeling frustrated with a perceived lack of progress. Apathy is the most common neuropsychiatric symptom of dementia, but it is also seen in numerous neurological diseases including stroke and Parkinson's disease, and it may co-occur with depression.
Source: The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Tags: Editorial Source Type: research