Apathy and Disinhibition Related to Neuropathology in Amnestic Versus Behavioral Dementias

Overview

Journal Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Neurology

Date 2019 Jun 8

PMID 31170813

Citations 7

Authors

Letizia G Borges

Alfred W Rademaker

Eileen H Bigio

M-Marsel Mesulam

Sandra Weintraub

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: Investigating the frequency of apathy and disinhibition in patients clinically diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) or behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) with neuropathology of either Alzheimer disease (AD) or frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD).

Methods: Retrospective data from 887 cases were analyzed, and the frequencies of apathy and disinhibition were compared at baseline and longitudinally in 4 groups: DAT/AD, DAT/FTLD, bvFTD/FTLD, and bvFTD/AD.

Results: Apathy alone was more common in AD (33%) than FTLD (25%), and the combination of apathy and disinhibition was more common in FTLD (43%) than AD (14%; < .0001). Over time, apathy became more frequent in AD with increasing dementia severity (33%-41%; < .006).

Conclusions: Alzheimer disease neuropathology had the closest association with the neuropsychiatric symptom of apathy, while FTLD was most associated with the combination of apathy and disinhibition. Over time, the frequency of those with apathy increased in both AD and FTLD neuropathology.

Citing Articles

Investigating neuropathological correlates of hyperactive and psychotic symptoms in dementia: a systematic review.

Negro G, Rossi M, Imbimbo C, Gatti A, Magi A, Appollonio I Front Dement. 2025; 4:1513644.

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Trajectories of behavior and social cognition in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and primary psychiatric disorders: A call for better operationalization of socioemotional changes.

Fieldhouse J, van Engelen M, Handgraaf D, de Boer S, van t Hooft J, Schouws S Eur J Neurol. 2024; 31(12):e16426.

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The pursuit for markers of disease progression in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia: a scoping review to optimize outcome measures for clinical trials.

Fieldhouse J, van Paassen D, van Engelen M, de Boer S, Hartog W, Braak S Front Aging Neurosci. 2024; 16:1382593.

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An Update on Apathy in Alzheimer's Disease.

Dolphin H, Dyer A, McHale C, ODowd S, Kennelly S Geriatrics (Basel). 2023; 8(4).

PMID: 37489323 PMC: 10366907. DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics8040075.

A transdiagnostic review of neuroimaging studies of apathy and disinhibition in dementia.

Jenkins L, Wang L, Rosen H, Weintraub S Brain. 2022; 145(6):1886-1905.

PMID: 35388419 PMC: 9630876. DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac133.

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