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A review of neuroimaging findings of apathy in Alzheimer's disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 October 2013

Christos Theleritis ,
Antonios Politis ,
Kostas Siarkos  and
Costantine G. Lyketsos
Christos Theleritis*
Affiliation:
First Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Eginition Hospital, 74 Vas. Sofias Ave., 11528 Athens, Greece University Mental Health Research Institute, 2 Soranou Efesiou Str., Papagou 156 01, Athens, Greece Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, King's College London, UK
Antonios Politis
Affiliation:
First Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Eginition Hospital, 74 Vas. Sofias Ave., 11528 Athens, Greece The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
Kostas Siarkos
Affiliation:
First Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Eginition Hospital, 74 Vas. Sofias Ave., 11528 Athens, Greece
Costantine G. Lyketsos
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Christos Theleritis, MD, 1st Psychiatry Department, University of Athens Medical School, Eginition Hopsital, 72–74 Vas. Sofias Avenue, 11528 Athens, Greece. Phone: +30 210 7289324. Email: [email protected]; [email protected].
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Abstract

Background:

Apathy is one of the most frequent “behavioral and psychological signs and symptoms of dementia” (BPSD) encountered in Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is a growing interest in the early diagnosis of apathetic elderly patients in the community since apathy has been associated with reduced daily functioning, caregiver distress, and poor outcome. The generalization of neuroimaging techniques might be able to offer help in this domain.

Methods: Within this context we conducted an extensive electronic search from the databases included in the National Library of Medicine as well as PsychInfo and Google Scholar for neuroimaging findings of apathy in AD.

Results:

Neuroimaging findings lend support to the notion that frontal-subcortical networks are involved in the occurrence of apathy in AD.

Conclusions: Longitudinal studies comparing patients and normal individuals might allow us to infer on the association between apathy and neurodegenerative diseases and what can brain imaging markers tell us about the characterization of this association, thus revealing disease patterns, helping to distinguish clinically distinct cognitive syndromes, and allowing predictions.

Keywords

neuroimaging studiesapathyAlzheimer's diseasedementiamild cognitive impairmentdepressionfrontal-subcortical networksanterior cingulate cortex
Type
Review Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 26 , Issue 2 , February 2014 , pp. 195 - 207
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2013 

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