Abulia

The Dictionary of Neurological Signs defines abulia as a "syndrome of hypofunction," characterized by lack of initiative, spontaneity, and drive, apathy, slowness of thought (bradyphrenia), and blunting of emotional responses and response to external stimuli.

In other words, abulia refers to a lack of will, drive, or initiative for action, speech, and thought. This term is derived from the Greek word aboulia, meaning “non-will.” This has to be distinguished from the inability to perform an activity due to cognitive or physical disability. This phenomenon has been known since 1838. Several terms have been used interchangeably with abulia: apathy, psychic akinesia, loss of psychic self-activation, and athymia.