Apathy and associated factors in Mexican patients with Parkinson’s disease

Apathy is one of the most common behavioral disturbances in Parkinson’s disease (PD) with a reported prevalence of 17–51 %. Apathy has been associated with depression, cognitive deficits, and poor quality of life. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of apathy in Mexican subjects with PD and its correlation with clinical and demographic characteristics. A cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytic study was carried out. Consecutive subjects with PD attending the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery in Mexico City were included. Demographic and other relevant clinical data were collected. The Apathy Scale was applied to all subjects. A cut-off score of ≥14 was used. A total of 241 non-demented patients (52.7 % male) were included. Apathy was found in 43 % of subjects. Lower body mass index, older age of PD onset, cognitive decline and disease severity were all related to apathy. The use of dopamine agonists or rasagiline was more common in patients with low apathy scores. Our results show that the prevalence of apathy in Mexican subjects with PD is similar to other reports.