Poststroke Apathy

I n addition to acute motor, sensory, and language impair- ments, subacute and chronic neuropsychiatric disturbances after stroke can have major impact on activities of daily living. Apathy, most commonly defined as a syndrome of diminished goaldirected behavior, emotion, and cognition, 4 is far less studied but has also been reported as a frequent consequence of stroke. 6] pathy can occur as an independent syndrome, although it may also occur as a symptom of depression or dementia. 2] Differences in study design, results, and interpretation have lead to a wide variety in reported characteristics, prevalence, and clinical impact. n this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aim to establish the impact of poststroke apathy by assessing the prevalence and the association with disability, depression, and cognitive impairment. In addition, the influence of lesion location on the occurrence of apathy and the possibilities for pharmacological treatment are systematically reviewed.