Associations, overlaps and dissociations between apathy and fatigue

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Apathy and fatigue are prevalent in both pathological and healthy populations.
• The complex relationship and subdimensions of apathy and fatigue remain poorly understood.
• Investigating these conditions in healthy individuals provides a baseline for understanding their interplay.

Purpose of the Study:

• To delineate the associations between subdimensions of apathy and fatigue.
• To identify overlaps and dissociations between apathy and fatigue in healthy adults.
• To inform assessment and clinical practice regarding these common conditions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized online self-assessment questionnaires for 729 healthy adult participants.
• Employed the Apathy Motivation Index and Dimensional Apathy Scale for apathy assessment.
• Used the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory to measure fatigue.
• Conducted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to examine the factor structure and relationships.

Main Results:

• The executive dimension of apathy strongly correlated with mental fatigue, suggesting a shared underlying factor.
• Exploratory factor analysis revealed overlaps between behavioral apathy and reduced motivation/activity in fatigue.
• Emotional and social dimensions of apathy were distinct from fatigue, supported by separate latent factors.
• Commonalities include reduced activity and mental difficulties; differences lie in emotional and social disturbances.

Conclusions:

• Apathy and fatigue share commonalities in reduced activity and mental challenges.
• Emotional and social dimensions uniquely characterize apathy, differentiating it from fatigue.
• Findings offer valuable insights for assessing apathy and fatigue in the general and clinical populations.