Apathy in dementia

Krista Lanctôt, PhD, Sunnybrook Research Institute & University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, discusses apathy in dementia. While often overlooked, neuropsychiatric symptoms occur commonly in dementia, of which apathy is the most prevalent. Apathy is seen in an estimated 49% of all Alzheimer’s disease cases and gets more frequent with disease and time progression. It is associated with decreased quality of life, increased mortality, more rapid cognitive decline, and increased risk of conversion. On top of the impact on patients themselves, studies have shown apathy to have a significant impact on caregiver burden. Despite its impact and prevalence, there are no approved therapies to treat apathy. There is an ongoing need to identify key mechanisms and treatment targets. This interview took place at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) 2022 in San Diego, CA.