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Antidepressant induced apathy responsive to dose reduction.

Sreekant Kodela¹, Pavan Dontineni Venkata

¹Carilion Clinic-Virginia Tech Psychiatry Residency Program, Roanoke, VA, USA. sreekant.kodela@googlemail.com

Psychopharmacology Bulletin

|January 18, 2011

Summary

Apathy can be a side effect of SSRI antidepressants like Sertraline. Reducing the Sertraline dose improved apathy in one patient, suggesting a need to consider treatment-emergent apathy.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Psychiatry

Background:

Apathy significantly impacts quality of life and is associated with Axis I and III disorders.
Apathy is a reported side effect of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) drugs.

Observation:

A 48-year-old male with personality change and depressive symptoms was treated with Sertraline.
While depressive symptoms, impulse control, and irritability improved, the patient developed significant apathy.

Findings:

A reduction in Sertraline dosage led to a positive response in the patient's apathy.
This case highlights the potential for antidepressant treatment-emergent apathy.

Implications:

Consider reducing SSRI dosage if apathy emerges during treatment and was not a pre-existing depressive symptom.
Alternative pharmacological strategies for apathy include stimulants, dopamine agonists, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and NMDA antagonists.