Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Largo Daneo 3-16132, Genoa, Italy; Neuropsychiatric Unit, Centre for Communication and Neurorehabilitation Research-CNAPP, Rome, Italy.
Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Largo Daneo 3-16132, Genoa, Italy.
J Affect Disord. 2016 Jan 1;189:272-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.09.062. Epub 2015 Oct 8.
Apathy is well described in neurodegenerative conditions, however to date there is no evidence of significant isolated apathy in subjects free from other neurological and psychiatric co-morbidites. Identifying isolated apathy in subjects free from neuropsychiatric conditions could contribute to refining current concepts of apathy and reevaluate its nosological classification as an independent clinical syndrome.
We assessed apathy and perceived quality of life in a group of 2751 adults (age 19-40 years) free from neuropsychiatric or medical conditions. Subjects with and without elevated apathy were compared on measures of depression, self-efficacy, behavioral inhibition, and behavioral activation.
Observed prevalence of isolated elevated apathy was 1.45%. Subjects with apathy presented with reduced quality of life and lower behavioral activation compared to apathy-free subjects, while there was no difference between the two groups on measures of depression, self-efficacy, and perceived social skills.
The main limitation of this study is the use of self-report questionnaires.
Isolated, ecologically-relevant apathy can be found in adults independently from the presence of subclinical depression or of concurrent medical conditions. Apathy screening should be considered in the evaluation of young non-depressed subjects with reduced perceived quality of life.
冷漠在神经退行性疾病中得到了很好的描述，但迄今为止，在没有其他神经和精神共病的情况下，没有证据表明存在明显孤立的冷漠。在没有神经精神疾病的受试者中识别出孤立的冷漠，可以有助于完善当前对冷漠的概念，并重新评估其作为独立临床综合征的分类。
我们评估了 2751 名年龄在 19-40 岁之间无神经精神或医学状况的成年人的冷漠和感知生活质量。对有和没有明显冷漠的受试者进行了抑郁、自我效能、行为抑制和行为激活方面的比较。
观察到孤立性明显冷漠的患病率为 1.45%。有冷漠的受试者生活质量降低，行为激活程度低于无冷漠的受试者，而两组在抑郁、自我效能和感知社交技能方面没有差异。
本研究的主要局限性是使用自我报告问卷。
在没有亚临床抑郁或同时存在医学疾病的情况下，成年人中可以发现孤立的、与生态相关的冷漠。在评估生活质量降低但无抑郁的年轻非抑郁受试者时，应考虑进行冷漠筛查。
