Background: Apathy and depression are two early behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related disorders that often occur prior to the onset of cognitive decline and memory disturbances. Both have been associated with an increased risk of conversion to dementia, with a distinct neuropathology.
Objective: The assessment of the trajectories of apathy and depression and their independent impact on dementia conversion.
Methods: Apathy and Depression were measured using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory for caregiver (NPI) and clinician (NPI-C), among the nondemented individuals reporting subjective cognitive decline (SCD) at baseline. They were followed up over a 60-month period. Some converted to dementia, according to the methodology carried out by the French Memento Cohort.
Results: Among individuals with SCD (n = 2,323), the levels of apathy and depression were low and did not evolve significantly over the 60-month period, despite a trend in apathy increasing as of month 24. Regarding SCD individuals who converted to dementia within the 60-month period (n = 27), the prevalence of depression remained globally steady, while the levels of apathy increased over time.
Conclusion: Apathy and depression have different trajectories among individuals with SCD and apathy alone is more likely-compared to depression-to be associated with conversion to dementia.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; apathy; behavioral and psychological symptoms; dementia; depression.