Tang Wai Kwong, Wong Kwok Chu George
Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Department of Surgery, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Front Neurol. 2024 Jul 31;15:1358102. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1358102. eCollection 2024.
Apathy is a frequent and debilitating condition among subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) survivors. Few studies have evaluated apathy in SAH, and none have examined the course of the condition, predictors of persistent apathy, or its impact on functional outcomes. The proposed study will examine, for the first time, the 12-month course of apathy and its impact on functional outcomes in the largest cohort of SAH survivors to date.
The current study is designed as a prospective cohort study with a duration of 36 months. We will recruit 240 participants. A trained research assistant will assess apathy using the Apathy Evaluation Scale 3 months after SAH. Patients' level of functioning, comorbidity, global cognitive functioning, and depressive symptoms will be assessed. All SAH patients will participate in follow-up assessments of apathy and functioning at 9 (T2) and 15 months (T3) post-SAH or at 6 and 12 months after the first assessment. Predictors of persistent apathy and the impact of apathy on functional outcomes will be examined.
This will be the first large-scale 1-year follow-up study of apathy in SAH survivors. The findings will provide valuable data to advance our understanding of the clinical course of apathy in this population. Moreover, the results will have clinical relevance by providing essential information to patients, caregivers, and clinicians; promoting the evaluation of apathy; and facilitating the development of prevention strategies, rehabilitation programs, and therapeutic options.
Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Joint Chinese University of Hong Kong-New Territories East Cluster Clinical Research Ethics Committee (CREC Ref. No.: 2023.339) on 3 October 2023. The findings of this study will be shared through publication in a peer-reviewed journal, presentations at relevant conferences, and dissemination through social media platforms.
冷漠是蛛网膜下腔出血（SAH）幸存者中常见且使人衰弱的一种状况。很少有研究评估SAH患者的冷漠情况，且尚无研究考察该状况的病程、持续性冷漠的预测因素或其对功能结局的影响。拟开展的这项研究将首次在迄今为止最大规模的SAH幸存者队列中，考察冷漠的12个月病程及其对功能结局的影响。
本研究设计为一项为期36个月的前瞻性队列研究。我们将招募240名参与者。一名经过培训的研究助理将在SAH后3个月使用冷漠评估量表对冷漠情况进行评估。将对患者的功能水平、合并症、整体认知功能和抑郁症状进行评估。所有SAH患者将在SAH后9个月（T2）和15个月（T3）或首次评估后6个月和12个月参加冷漠和功能的随访评估。将考察持续性冷漠的预测因素以及冷漠对功能结局的影响。
这将是首次针对SAH幸存者冷漠情况开展的大规模1年随访研究。研究结果将提供宝贵数据，以增进我们对该人群冷漠临床病程的理解。此外，研究结果将具有临床相关性，为患者、护理人员和临床医生提供重要信息；促进对冷漠的评估；并推动预防策略、康复计划和治疗方案的制定。
本研究于2023年10月3日获得香港中文大学 - 新界东集群联合临床研究伦理委员会的伦理批准（CREC编号：2023.339）。本研究的结果将通过在同行评审期刊上发表、在相关会议上报告以及通过社交媒体平台传播。
