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Apathy is a possible sign of imminent dementia
Scientists note that apathy and dementia have many common symptoms. They suggest that apathy is not a risk factor for dementia, but its early onset.
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Increased depression in older adults is considered a possible sign of the onset of cognitive decline, a harbinger of dementia. In a new study, researchers found apathy is a more accurate predictor. Scientific work published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, & Psychiatry.
“There is a lot of conflicting scientific evidence about the link between depression in old age and dementia. Our study says this association is partly because common tests for depression do not distinguish between depression and apathy,”said Jonathan Tay, a Cambridge University professor and co-author of the study.
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Apathy and depression are often combined, but they are different mental problems. Apathy is characterized by a sense of indifference and depressed motivation. Scientists have previously pointed out that inaccurate differential diagnosis is bad for the results of apathy and depression.
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The authors found that in study participants, high levels of apathy or an increase in it were associated with the development of dementia over several years. This study did not show a similar link between depression and dementia.
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In their findings, the authors suggest that apathy is not a risk factor for cognitive decline, but rather an early symptom of damage to the white matter of the brain. They point out that it has been argued in previous theoretical studies that certain symptoms of apathy coincide with signs of cognitive decline.
