Research -Apathy in Neurological & Other Conditions
 

This may be of interest to some here. The research was mentioned today in an article in the UK press - the Daily Mail Online - but the research itself was published last month in a medical journal called Practical Neurology. To access the full research article you need to pay a fee unless you have access to this journal, but the abstract is free (link below).

The press article says that neurologists from the Royal Free Hospital in London reported that ‘apathy is an under-recognised and underestimated problem in people with chronic neurological disorders' [eg, Parkinson’s]. It also says: "Traditionally, apathy has been seen as a sign of depression (and, ironically, can be a side-effect of some antidepressants). But scientists believe it could also be a key sign of dozens of other conditions, including stroke and heart disease." The article noted that "despite being common and disabling, apathy was said to be a problem that neither patients nor their carers tended to raise with their doctors."

They added "... it’s important to distinguish apathy from depression because it requires different treatment, such as drugs other than antidepressants.
The neurologists defined apathy as reduced emotion (positive and negative), a lack of concern about symptoms, lack of motivation and emotional emptiness.
By comparison, they defined the key clues to depression as being sad, tearful or guilty, a sense of hopelessness about the future, variations in mood and so-called negative cognitive bias — in other words, seeing the worst side of everything.
The Royal Free researchers also noted that, unlike those with depression, people with apathy can occasionally be happy."

it is presumably conceivable that apathy could be relevant to CRPS given the connection to neurological conditions and that apathy is being mistaken for depression in some patients.

Assuming the links function OK, the press article is here:
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...#ixzz3t5LURTPT

The research is published here:
http://pn.bmj.com/content/early/2015...01232.abstract

thanks for this really interesting info Neurochic. i can't wait to read the links!