Apathy in patients with Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Apathy is a common feature of basal ganglia disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), yet it is often 'invisible' to the clinician, patient and family. Factors responsible for the lack of recognition of apathy include confusion between the presence of depression and apathy and the overlap of symptoms of apathy with the phenomenology of PD. Raising awareness of apathy in PD is important because apathy contributes to PD-related disability and has an important impact on quality of life. The neurotransmitter dopamine is central to normal motivational behavior. Therefore, PD, a disorder of primary dopamine deficiency, is an ideal model for the study of apathy and its management.