Recognizing apathy in Alzheimer's disease.

Apathy has been increasingly recognized as a neuropsychiatric symptom in many neurologic disorders. In this paper, we review the clinical features of apathy in Alzheimer's disease. We also review screening, the differential diagnosis including depression, medical illnesses, and mild cognitive impairment, and treating modalities and issues. It must also be recognized that apathy per se almost never occurs as an isolated syndrome, so it must be viewed in the context of an individual's entire behavioral and cognitive status.