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Mason SL, Barker RA, Andresen K, Gracey F, Ford C. The meaning of apathy in Huntington's disease: A qualitative study of caregiver perspectives. Neuropsychol Rehabil 2024:1-30. [PMID: 39102382 DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2024.2384519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Although one of the most prevalent and impactful features of Huntington's disease (HD), little is known about the impact of apathy on HD caregivers, although there is evidence it affects perceptions of distress and burden. Given the importance of the caregivers, we aimed to explore the lived experience of people supporting someone with HD and associated apathy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 caregivers and analysed using reflective thematic analysis, informed by a phenomenological framework. Five overarching themes were produced: (1) What even is apathy? (2) It makes my life harder: the practical impact of apathy, (3) They haven't forgotten me, but they have forgotten that they ever loved me, (4) I'm grieving for someone who hasn't died yet, and (5) I need a safe space to say what I really feel without fear of judgement. Inter-woven between these themes were complex narratives about the unspoken nature of HD, the invisibility of caregivers who felt trapped and unheard, and the one-sided nature of loving someone with the disease. Findings are discussed in relation to theoretical frameworks of anticipatory grief and ambiguous loss, and situated within the wider literature on caregiving for people with a neurodegenerative condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Louise Mason
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Therapies, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Roger Alistair Barker
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Katie Andresen
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fergus Gracey
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Therapies, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Catherine Ford
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Therapies, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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2
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Atkins KJ, Andrews SC, Stout JC, Chong TTJ. The effect of Huntington's disease on cognitive and physical motivation. Brain 2024; 147:2449-2458. [PMID: 38266149 PMCID: PMC11224606 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Apathy is one of the most common neuropsychiatric features of Huntington's disease. A hallmark of apathy is diminished goal-directed behaviour, which is characterized by a lower motivation to engage in cognitively or physically effortful actions. However, it remains unclear whether this reduction in goal-directed behaviour is driven primarily by a motivational deficit and/or is secondary to the progressive cognitive and physical deficits that accompany more advanced disease. We addressed this question by testing 17 individuals with manifest Huntington's disease and 22 age-matched controls on an effort-based decision-making paradigm. Participants were first trained on separate cognitively and physically effortful tasks and provided explicit feedback about their performance. Next, they chose on separate trials how much effort they were willing to exert in each domain in return for varying reward. At the conclusion of the experiment, participants were asked to rate their subjective perception of task load. In the cognitive task, the Huntington's disease group were more averse to cognitive effort than controls. Although the Huntington's disease group were more impaired than controls on the task itself, their greater aversion to cognitive effort persisted even after controlling for task performance. This suggests that the lower levels of cognitive motivation in the Huntington's disease group relative to controls was most likely driven by a primary motivational deficit. In contrast, both groups expressed a similar preference for physical effort. Importantly, the similar levels of physical motivation across both groups occurred even though participants with Huntington's disease performed objectively worse than controls on the physical effort task, and were aware of their performance through explicit feedback on each trial. This indicates that the seemingly preserved level of physical motivation in Huntington's disease was driven by a willingness to engage in physically effortful actions despite a reduced capacity to do so. Finally, the Huntington's disease group provided higher ratings of subjective task demand than controls for the cognitive (but not physical) effort task and when assessing the mental (but not the physical) load of each task. Together, these results revealed a dissociation in cognitive and physical motivation deficits between Huntington's disease and controls, which were accompanied by differences in how effort was subjectively perceived by the two groups. This highlights that motivation is the final manifestation of a complex set of mechanisms involved in effort processing, which are separable across different domains of behaviour. These findings have important clinical implications for the day-to-day management of apathy in Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly J Atkins
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Sophie C Andrews
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Thompson Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland 4575, Australia
| | - Julie C Stout
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Trevor T J Chong
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria 3065, Australia
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Ashner MC, Garcia TP. Understanding the implications of a complete case analysis for regression models with a right-censored covariate. AM STAT 2023; 78:335-344. [PMID: 39070115 PMCID: PMC11281394 DOI: 10.1080/00031305.2023.2282629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Despite its drawbacks, the complete case analysis is commonly used in regression models with incomplete covariates. Understanding when the complete case analysis will lead to consistent parameter estimation is vital before use. Our aim here is to demonstrate when a complete case analysis is consistent for randomly right-censored covariates and to discuss the implications of its use even when consistent. Across the censored covariate literature, different assumptions are made to ensure a complete case analysis produces a consistent estimator, which leads to confusion in practice. We make several contributions to dispel this confusion. First, we summarize the language surrounding the assumptions that lead to a consistent complete case estimator. Then, we show a unidirectional hierarchical relationship between these assumptions, which leads us to one sufficient assumption to consider before using a complete case analysis. Lastly, we conduct a simulation study to illustrate the performance of a complete case analysis with a right-censored covariate under different censoring mechanism assumptions, and we demonstrate its use with a Huntington disease data example.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tanya P. Garcia
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Davis MC, Hill AT, Fitzgerald PB, Bailey NW, Stout JC, Hoy KE. Neurophysiological correlates of non-motor symptoms in late premanifest and early-stage manifest huntington's disease. Clin Neurophysiol 2023; 153:166-176. [PMID: 37506604 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2023.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To find sensitive neurophysiological correlates of non-motor symptoms in Huntington's disease (HD), which are essential for the development and assessment of novel treatments. METHODS We used resting state EEG to examine differences in oscillatory activity (analysing the isolated periodic as well as the complete EEG signal) and functional connectivity in 22 late premanifest and early stage people with HD and 20 neurotypical controls. We then assessed the correlations between these neurophysiological markers and clinical measures of apathy and processing speed. RESULTS Significantly lower theta and greater delta resting state power was seen in the HD group, as well as significantly greater delta connectivity. There was a significant positive correlation between theta power and processing speed, however there were no associations between the neurophysiological and apathy measures. CONCLUSIONS We speculate that these changes in oscillatory power and connectivity reflect ongoing, frontally concentrated degenerative and compensatory processes associated with HD. SIGNIFICANCE Our findings support the potential utility of quantitative EEG as a proximate marker of processing speed, but not apathy in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Claire Davis
- Central Clinical School, Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Victoria, Australia; Statewide Progressive Neurological Disease Service, Calvary Health Care Bethlehem, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Aron T Hill
- Central Clinical School, Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Victoria, Australia; Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Paul B Fitzgerald
- Central Clinical School, Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Victoria, Australia; School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
| | - Neil W Bailey
- Central Clinical School, Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Victoria, Australia; School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia; Monarch Research Institute Monarch Mental Health Group, 225 Clarence Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.
| | - Julie C Stout
- School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, 18 Innovation Walk, Clayton Campus, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
| | - Kate E Hoy
- Central Clinical School, Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Victoria, Australia; The Bionics Institute of Australia, 384-388 Albert St, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia.
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Mougias M, Beratis IN, Moustaka K, Alexopoulos P, Assimakopoulos K. The Differential Role of Executive Apathy in Alzheimer's Disease Dementia, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Healthy Cognitive Ageing. Geriatrics (Basel) 2023; 8:geriatrics8020038. [PMID: 36960993 PMCID: PMC10037581 DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics8020038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of the present work was to compare the levels of executive, emotional, and initiation apathy in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), mild Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD), and cognitively intact healthy controls (HCs). Fifty-two patients with mild ADD, 40 individuals with MCI, and 37 cognitively intact individuals were included in the current study. The participants were consecutive visitors to the Outpatient Memory Clinic of "Nestor" Alzheimer's Center. The symptoms of apathy were measured with the dimensional apathy scale. Analyses showed that ADD patients had significantly higher degrees of executive, emotional, initiation, and overall apathy compared with both the MCI group and the HCs. Additionally, a significant difference was observed in the dimension of executive apathy between individuals with MCI and the HCs. In conclusion, the dimension of executive apathy was the most sensitive measure regarding the differentiation of individuals with mild ADD or MCI and HCs. Hence, detailed evaluation of executive apathy in older individuals referred to a memory clinic may provide useful information contributing to their diagnostic categorization and to the differentiation between neurocognitive disorders and healthy cognitive ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michalis Mougias
- Alzheimer's Center, "Nestor" Greek Psychogeriatric Association, 22, Ioanni Drossopoulou Street, 112 57 Athens, Greece
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 265 04 Patras, Greece
| | - Ion N Beratis
- Alzheimer's Center, "Nestor" Greek Psychogeriatric Association, 22, Ioanni Drossopoulou Street, 112 57 Athens, Greece
- Psychology Department, The American College of Greece, Deree, 6, Gravias Street, 153 42 Athens, Greece
| | - Kleio Moustaka
- Alzheimer's Center, "Nestor" Greek Psychogeriatric Association, 22, Ioanni Drossopoulou Street, 112 57 Athens, Greece
- Psychology Department, The American College of Greece, Deree, 6, Gravias Street, 153 42 Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Alexopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 265 04 Patras, Greece
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 21, Arcisstraße Street, 80 333 Munich, Germany
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De Paepe AE, Garcia-Gorro C, Martinez-Horta S, Perez JP, Kulisevsky J, Rodriguez-Dechicha N, Vaquer I, Subira S, Calopa M, Santacruz P, Muñoz E, Mareca C, Ruiz-Idiago J, de Diego-Balaguer R, Camara E. Delineating apathy profiles in Huntington's disease with the short-Lille Apathy Rating Scale. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2022; 105:83-89. [PMID: 36395542 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2022.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Apathy, a prevalent feature in neurological disorders including Huntington's disease (HD), is characterized by a reduction in goal-directed behavior across cognitive, auto-activation (i.e., self-activating thoughts/behavior), and emotional domains. Nonetheless, current diagnostic criteria are incapable of distinguishing multidimensional apathy profiles. Meanwhile, the short-Lille Apathy Rating Scale (LARS-s) bears potential as an operative diagnostic tool to disentangle apathy dimensions in clinical practice. The present study thereby examines the psychometric properties and factor structure of the LARS-s to tap into apathy profiles and their underlying neural correlates in HD. METHODS Forty HD individuals were scanned and evaluated for apathy using the LARS-s, assessed for reliability and validity in HD, and the short-Problem Behavior Assessment (PBA-s). To study the dimensional structure of apathy, principal component analysis (PCA) of the LARS-s was implemented. Resulting factors were associated with gray matter volume through whole-brain voxel-based morphometry. RESULTS The LARS-s demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties, sharing convergent validity with PBA-s apathy and discriminant validity against depression. PCA resulted in three factors representative of apathy profiles across cognitive, auto-activation, and emotional domains. Anatomically, global apathy was significantly related with large-scale motor, cognitive, and limbic networks. Exploratory analyses of apathy profiles revealed correspondence between each factor and distinct cortical and subcortical nodes. CONCLUSION The LARS-s is capable of capturing the multidimensional spectrum of apathy. At the same time, apathy profiles in HD are underpinned by functionally diverse neural networks. Such findings promote the continued study of apathy domains to pinpoint personalized therapeutic targets in neurologic disorders in addition to HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey E De Paepe
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute - IDIBELL, 08097 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Cognition, Development and Education Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Garcia-Gorro
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute - IDIBELL, 08097 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Cognition, Development and Education Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Saül Martinez-Horta
- European Huntington's Disease Network; Movement Disorders Unit, Dept of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau IIB-Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (U.A.B.), Medicine Department, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesus Perez Perez
- European Huntington's Disease Network; Movement Disorders Unit, Dept of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau IIB-Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (U.A.B.), Medicine Department, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaime Kulisevsky
- European Huntington's Disease Network; Movement Disorders Unit, Dept of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau IIB-Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERNED Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Carlos III Institute, Madrid, Spain; Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (U.A.B.), Medicine Department, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Irene Vaquer
- Hestia Duran i Reynals. Hospital Duran i Reynals, Hospitalet de Llobregat Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Subira
- Hestia Duran i Reynals. Hospital Duran i Reynals, Hospitalet de Llobregat Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Matilde Calopa
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pilar Santacruz
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esteban Muñoz
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain; IDIBAPS Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain; Facultat de Medicina, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Celia Mareca
- Hospital Mare de Deu de la Mercè, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesus Ruiz-Idiago
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Hospital Mare de Deu de la Mercè, Barcelona, Spain; FIDMAG Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ruth de Diego-Balaguer
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute - IDIBELL, 08097 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Cognition, Development and Education Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; ICREA Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Estela Camara
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute - IDIBELL, 08097 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Cognition, Development and Education Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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7
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Abdollah Zadegan S, Coco HM, Reddy KS, Anderson KM, Teixeira AL, Stimming EF. Frequency and Pathophysiology of Apathy in Huntington Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 35:121-132. [PMID: 36353818 DOI: 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.20220033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Apathy is a common behavioral symptom of Huntington disease (HD). This systematic review describes current evidence on the pathophysiology, assessment, and frequency of apathy in HD. METHODS This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Using a comprehensive search strategy, the investigators searched the MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO databases. All studies that evaluated apathy in HD patients with a valid scale and reported apathy frequency or scores were included. Apathy scores were analyzed by mean or standardized mean differences in accordance with Cochrane guidelines. RESULTS A total of 1,085 records were screened and 80 studies were ultimately included. The Problem Behaviors Assessment-Short was the most frequently used apathy assessment tool. Apathy frequency generally ranged from 10%-33% in premanifest HD to 24%-76% in manifest HD. A meta-analysis of 5,311 records of patients with premanifest HD showed significantly higher apathy scores, with a standardized mean difference of 0.41 (CI=0.29-0.52; p<0.001). A comparison of 1,247 patients showed significantly higher apathy scores in manifest than premanifest HD, with a mean difference of 1.87 (CI=1.48-2.26; p<0.001). There was evidence of involvement of various cortical and subcortical brain regions in HD patients with apathy. CONCLUSIONS Apathy was more frequent among individuals with premanifest HD compared with those in a control group and among individuals with manifest HD compared with those with premanifest HD. Considering the complexity and unique pattern of development in neurodegenerative disease, further studies are required to explore the pathophysiology of apathy in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shayan Abdollah Zadegan
- Department of Neurology (Zadegan, Furr Stimming), Huntington's Disease Society of America Center of Excellence (Zadegan, Anderson, Teixeira, Furr Stimming), McGovern Medical School (Coco, Reddy), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Anderson, Teixeira), all at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Hannah M Coco
- Department of Neurology (Zadegan, Furr Stimming), Huntington's Disease Society of America Center of Excellence (Zadegan, Anderson, Teixeira, Furr Stimming), McGovern Medical School (Coco, Reddy), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Anderson, Teixeira), all at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Kirthan S Reddy
- Department of Neurology (Zadegan, Furr Stimming), Huntington's Disease Society of America Center of Excellence (Zadegan, Anderson, Teixeira, Furr Stimming), McGovern Medical School (Coco, Reddy), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Anderson, Teixeira), all at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Kendra M Anderson
- Department of Neurology (Zadegan, Furr Stimming), Huntington's Disease Society of America Center of Excellence (Zadegan, Anderson, Teixeira, Furr Stimming), McGovern Medical School (Coco, Reddy), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Anderson, Teixeira), all at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Antonio L Teixeira
- Department of Neurology (Zadegan, Furr Stimming), Huntington's Disease Society of America Center of Excellence (Zadegan, Anderson, Teixeira, Furr Stimming), McGovern Medical School (Coco, Reddy), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Anderson, Teixeira), all at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Erin Furr Stimming
- Department of Neurology (Zadegan, Furr Stimming), Huntington's Disease Society of America Center of Excellence (Zadegan, Anderson, Teixeira, Furr Stimming), McGovern Medical School (Coco, Reddy), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Anderson, Teixeira), all at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
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Poletti B, Solca F, Maffi S, Torre S, Carelli L, Aiello EN, Ferrucci R, Priori A, Monti A, Verde F, Ticozzi N, Migliore S, Scaricamazza E, Casella M, Squitieri F, Ciammola A, Silani V. Semiology and determinants of apathy across neurodegenerative motor disorders: A comparison between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:1031908. [PMID: 36408105 PMCID: PMC9667083 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1031908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The semiology and determinants of apathy are largely unknown across amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Huntington’s disease (HD), due to both motor and non-motor confounders. This study thus aimed at (1) profiling apathy in ALS, PD, and HD and (2) exploring its clinical determinants. Materials Consecutive ALS (N = 99), PD (N = 73), and HD (N = 25) patients underwent a motor-free assessment of apathy (Dimensional Apathy Scale, DAS), global cognition, anxiety and depression. Function was assessed through disease-specific scales. The DAS was also completed by N = 101 healthy controls (HCs). Between-group comparisons on DAS scores were implemented by covarying for all applicable confounders. Predictive models on DAS scores were built through multiple, stepwise regressions. Results Parkinson’s disease and HD, but not ALS, patients were more apathetic than HCs—with HD patients also selectively showing lower initiation and poorer goal-directed planning than HCs. Higher apathetic features were detected in PD and HD as compared to ALS. Education was a protective factor against apathy in ALS. Anxiety was a risk factor for global apathy in ALS, HD, and to a lesser extent, in PD, whereas, protective only toward affective disintegration in PD and ALS. Cognitive inefficiency was a risk factor toward apathy in both PD and ALS. Depression was a risk factor for executive-related apathy in PD. Discussion This study provides unprecedented insights into the heterogeneous semiology and determinants of apathy across ALS, PD, and HD via the DAS, in turn informing clinical practice and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Poletti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Barbara Poletti, ; orcid.org/0000-0003-4398-2051
| | - Federica Solca
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sabrina Maffi
- Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit, CSS-Mendel Institute, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Research Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Silvia Torre
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Carelli
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Ph.D Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Roberta Ferrucci
- Department of Health Sciences, Aldo Ravelli Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, International Medical School, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, San Paolo University Hospital, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Ca’ Granda Foundation Maggiore Policlinico Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Priori
- Department of Health Sciences, Aldo Ravelli Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, International Medical School, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, San Paolo University Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Monti
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa di Cura del Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Federico Verde
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari Center,” Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari Center,” Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Simone Migliore
- Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit, CSS-Mendel Institute, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Research Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Eugenia Scaricamazza
- Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit, CSS-Mendel Institute, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Research Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Melissa Casella
- Italian League for Research on Huntington Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Squitieri
- Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit, CSS-Mendel Institute, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Research Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Andrea Ciammola
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari Center,” Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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On the association between apathy and deficits of social cognition and executive functions in Huntington's disease. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2022; 29:369-376. [PMID: 36189712 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617722000364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate if executive and social cognitive dysfunction was associated with apathy in a large cohort of Huntington's disease gene expansion carriers. METHOD Eighty premanifest and motor-manifest Huntington's disease gene expansion carriers (Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥ 24 and Montreal Cognitive Assessment score ≥ 19) and thirty-two controls were examined with the Lille Apathy Rating Scale (LARS), a tailored and quantitative measure of apathy, and a comprehensive cognitive battery on executive functions and social cognition (emotion recognition, theory of mind and sarcasm detection), as well as general correlates like demographic variables, and neuropsychiatric and cognitive screening tests. RESULTS The motor-manifest Huntington's disease gene expansion carriers had significantly different scores on most measures of social cognition and executive functions, compared to premanifest and control participants. Apathy was significantly correlated with most executive test scores, but the Emotion Hexagon was the only social cognitive test score significantly correlated with apathy. We found that the motor score and the depression score were the only significant predictors of the apathy score, when the social cognitive and executive tests with the strongest association with the global LARS score were entered into a multiple stepwise regression model. No cognitive test score could significantly predict apathy. The model explained 21 % of the total variance. CONCLUSION Despite being significantly correlated with apathy neuropsychological variables did not have a significant impact on apathy when variables as depression and motor symptoms were taken into account. Apathy should be considered an independent symptom of Huntington's disease that requires specific examination.
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10
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Negative symptoms in Huntington’s disease. Neurol Sci 2022; 43:3695-3701. [DOI: 10.1007/s10072-021-05787-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Hendel RK, Hellem MNN, Hjermind LE, Nielsen JE, Vogel A. Intellectual Curiosity and Action Initiation are Subtypes of Apathy Affected in Huntington Disease Gene Expansion Carriers. Cogn Behav Neurol 2021; 34:295-302. [PMID: 34851867 DOI: 10.1097/wnn.0000000000000286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Apathy is a prevalent behavioral syndrome of Huntington disease (HD) that can result in severe loss of function for the individual with HD and substantial caregiver distress. Research-based evidence of apathy is characterized by methodological differences, and there is a deficiency in the evidence concerning the subtypes of apathy. OBJECTIVE To characterize apathy in premanifest and motor-manifest HD gene expansion carriers and controls using the Short Problem Behaviors Assessment for Huntington's Disease (PBA-s) and the Lille Apathy Rating Scale (LARS). METHOD We included 82 HD gene expansion carriers (premanifest and motor manifest) and 32 controls (Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥24 and Montreal Cognitive Assessment score ≥19) in the study. We quantified apathy using the PBA-s and the LARS and performed correlation analyses between the global LARS score and motor function, cytosine-adenine-guanine repeat length, cytosine-adenine-guanine Age Product score, and neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms. RESULTS The motor-manifest HD gene expansion carriers scored significantly higher than the controls on the global score and the Intellectual Curiosity and Action Initiation subscales of the LARS. Apathy was present in 28% of the HD gene expansion carriers (including 7 premanifest). The apathetic participants had a significantly higher motor score, significantly higher scores on the neuropsychiatric instruments, and significantly lower cognitive scores compared with the controls. CONCLUSION Apathy is a frequent syndrome that is found in individuals with HD. Apathy has a specific expression, with symptoms such as reduced initiation, voluntary actions, and interests, that might be related to the underlying neuropathology. Apathy is related to disease progression, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and cognitive impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca K Hendel
- Danish Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marie N N Hellem
- Danish Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lena E Hjermind
- Danish Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jørgen E Nielsen
- Danish Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Asmus Vogel
- Danish Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Heightened effort discounting is a common feature of both apathy and fatigue. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22283. [PMID: 34782630 PMCID: PMC8593117 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01287-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Apathy and fatigue have distinct aetiologies, yet can manifest in phenotypically similar ways. In particular, each can give rise to diminished goal-directed behaviour, which is often cited as a key characteristic of both traits. An important issue therefore is whether currently available approaches are capable of distinguishing between them. Here, we examined the relationship between commonly administered inventories of apathy and fatigue, and a measure of goal-directed activity that assesses the motivation to engage in effortful behaviour. 103 healthy adults completed self-report inventories on apathy (the Dimensional Apathy Scale), and fatigue (the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, and/or Modified Fatigue Impact Scale). In addition, all participants performed an effort discounting task, in which they made choices about their willingness to engage in physically effortful activity. Importantly, self-report ratings of apathy and fatigue were strongly correlated, suggesting that these inventories were insensitive to the fundamental differences between the two traits. Furthermore, greater effort discounting was strongly associated with higher ratings across all inventories, suggesting that a common feature of both traits is a lower motivation to engage in effortful behaviour. These results have significant implications for the assessment of both apathy and fatigue, particularly in clinical groups in which they commonly co-exist.
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