Biological Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, European Medical School, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26111, Oldenburg, Germany.
Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Hospital Karl-Jaspers-Klinik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26111, Oldenburg, Germany.
J Neurooncol. 2018 Oct;140(1):27-35. doi: 10.1007/s11060-018-2936-z. Epub 2018 Jul 3.
The current study aimed to assess whether childhood-onset craniopharyngioma patients suffer from symptoms of apathy, as assessed by patients themselves and their close others. We further analyzed whether apathy scores are related to symptoms of depression.
Childhood-onset craniopharyngioma patients (n = 35, 16 female, median age = 22) and matched healthy controls (n = 35, 19 female, median age = 21) were asked to complete self-ratings of the Apathy Evaluation Scale, whereas informant-ratings were obtained from their close others. Depression was assessed by self-ratings using the German version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. As primary outcome measures, self- and informant-rated apathy scores were compared between patients and healthy controls. As secondary outcome measures, differences between self- and informant-rated apathy within the single groups and associations between apathy and depression were analyzed.
Compared to healthy controls, patients displayed significantly higher apathy levels in informant-ratings (median = 18, median = 12, p = .021), but not in self-ratings (median = 11, median =12, p = .68). In patients, there was a significant discrepancy between self- and informant-rated apathy and self-rated apathy was related to symptoms of depression.
This is the first study to show that childhood-onset craniopharyngioma patients may be at high risk for apathy. Noteworthy, apathy levels in the patient group were judged to be high by their close others but not by the patients themselves, indicating that many patients were not fully aware of their impairments. As apathy is associated with numerous adverse outcomes affecting everyday life and vocational opportunities, future investigations are needed to identify specific risk factors for apathy. Clinical Trial Registration No: NCT00258453.
本研究旨在评估儿童期颅咽管瘤患者是否存在淡漠症状，评估方法为患者自身及亲近他人进行自我评估，并进一步分析淡漠评分是否与抑郁症状相关。
共纳入 35 例儿童期颅咽管瘤患者（16 名女性，中位年龄 22 岁）和 35 名匹配的健康对照者（19 名女性，中位年龄 21 岁），要求他们完成淡漠评估量表的自我评估，同时由亲近他人对其进行评定。采用德国版流行病学研究中心抑郁量表进行自我评估以评估抑郁情况。主要观察指标为患者与健康对照者之间的自我和他人评定的淡漠评分。次要观察指标为分析单一组内自我和他人评定的淡漠评分之间的差异以及淡漠与抑郁之间的相关性。
与健康对照者相比，患者在他人评定中表现出明显更高的淡漠水平（中位数=18，中位数=12，p=0.021），但在自我评定中无显著差异（中位数=11，中位数=12，p=0.68）。在患者中，自我和他人评定的淡漠评分存在显著差异，且自我评定的淡漠与抑郁症状相关。
这是第一项研究表明儿童期颅咽管瘤患者可能存在较高的淡漠风险。值得注意的是，患者的亲近他人认为患者的淡漠水平较高，但患者自身并不这么认为，这表明许多患者并未充分意识到自己的缺陷。由于淡漠与影响日常生活和职业机会的众多不良后果相关，未来需要进一步研究以确定淡漠的具体危险因素。临床试验注册号：NCT00258453。
