Differential Diagnosis between Depression and Apathy

Abstract

  Differential diagnosis between depression and apathy is critical because both of them can cause substantial deterioration in prognosis in patients after acquired brain injury and degenerative disorders and the treatment methods for these two conditions are quite different. The key feature to differentiate between depression and apathy is the presence of depressive mood and/or negative thinking patterns, both of which are the hallmarks for depression. Recent brain imaging studies reveal that while there is a hyperactive region in patients with depression, particularly, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, patients with apathy have no hyperactive region in their brain. Treatment strategies for patients with depression after acquired brain injury include pharmacotherapy, psychological therapy, and social intervention. In addition, a tailor-made rehabilitation approach with an achievable goal for individual patients after acquired brain injury might improve their depression, which is also the case with patients with apathy.