Boyle Patricia A, Malloy Paul F
Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02116, USA.
Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2004;17(1-2):91-9. doi: 10.1159/000074280. Epub 2003 Oct 15.
Apathy, a syndrome of decreased initiation and motivation, affects over 70% of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is the most common neuropsychiatric symptom reported in AD patients. The syndrome of apathy is associated with functional impairment among patients and elevated stress among their caregivers. Apathy is one of the primary neuropsychiatric manifestations of frontal system dysfunction, and AD-related apathy is thought to reflect the interaction between cholinergic deficiency and neuropathological changes in frontal brain regions. This article reviews the assessment and treatment of apathy in AD, with emphasis on the utility of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors for reducing apathy in AD. The potential benefits of other pharmacologic agents and combined pharmacologic-behavioral interventions are also discussed, and recommendations for future research are provided.
淡漠是一种启动和动机减退的综合征，影响超过70%的阿尔茨海默病（AD）患者，是AD患者报告的最常见神经精神症状。淡漠综合征与患者的功能损害及照料者的压力增加有关。淡漠是额叶系统功能障碍的主要神经精神表现之一，AD相关的淡漠被认为反映了胆碱能缺乏与额叶脑区神经病理变化之间的相互作用。本文综述了AD中淡漠的评估和治疗，重点关注乙酰胆碱酯酶抑制剂在减轻AD患者淡漠方面的效用。还讨论了其他药物及药物 - 行为联合干预的潜在益处，并提供了未来研究的建议。
