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Apathy as a feature of prodromal Alzheimer's disease: an FDG-PET ADNI study

Julien Delrieu1, Thomas Desmidt, Vincent Camus

  • 1Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Research Centre, Gérontopôle, Toulouse University Hospital, Toulouse, France.

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
|June 24, 2014
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Apathy in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is linked to reduced brain metabolism in the posterior cingulate cortex, suggesting it may be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This finding highlights the importance of monitoring apathy in MCI patients.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neurology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional stage between normal aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • Apathy is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in MCI, but its underlying brain mechanisms are not fully understood.
  • Understanding brain metabolism in MCI with apathy is crucial for early AD detection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in brain glucose metabolism between MCI patients with and without apathy.
  • To determine if apathy in MCI is associated with an Alzheimer's disease-specific pattern of metabolic changes.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of baseline data from 65 MCI participants in the Alzheimer's Disease (AD) Neuroimaging Initiative.
  • Assessment of cognitive function, neuropsychiatric status, and brain structure using volumetric MRI.
  • Measurement of cerebral glucose metabolism via (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET).
  • Apathy determination using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in cognitive or general neuropsychiatric measures between MCI patients with and without apathy (excluding apathy-specific items).
  • Equivalent cerebrovascular disease load and cerebral atrophy in both groups.
  • MCI patients with apathy exhibited significantly reduced glucose metabolism in the posterior cingulate cortex compared to apathy-free MCI patients.

Conclusions:

  • Apathy in MCI is associated with a distinct pattern of brain metabolic dysfunction, specifically in the posterior cingulate cortex.
  • This metabolic pattern in MCI with apathy mirrors changes seen in Alzheimer's disease.
  • These findings suggest that apathy may represent a prodromal symptom within the Alzheimer's disease spectrum.
Keywords:
Alzheimer's diseaseAlzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative (ADNI)FDG-PETapathybiomarkermild cognitive impairment

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