Apathy Tied to Higher Dementia Risk in Memory Clinic Care Recipients

A review and meta-analysis of people receiving care at memory clinics published in JAMA Psychiatry found a strong predictive association between apathy and elevated incident dementia risk, according to MedPage Today . The investigators examined 12 studies with 7,299 individuals using a validated apathy definition, and found apathy connected to an almost twofold higher dementia risk. About 20 percent of subjects were diagnosed with apathy defined by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire at baseline. Surprisingly, the researchers observed significant heterogeneity that could be explained by differences in follow-up time. "Apparently, apathy is particularly potent as a predictor of dementia in the short-term, corroborating the hypothesis that it may be prodromal to dementia and the concept of mild behavioral impairment," says the University of Amsterdam's Jan Willem van Dalen. He suggests healthcare providers discuss apathy with caregivers, particularly underscoring that care recipients "are not unwilling but rather unable to show initiative."