An investigation of functional correlates and predictors of apathy in a Memory Clinic sample

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dc.contributor.advisorNjomboro, Progress
dc.contributor.authorSebolai, Katlego
dc.date.accessioned2025-09-25T07:51:28Z
dc.date.available2025-09-25T07:51:28Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.date.updated2025-09-25T07:47:56Z
dc.description.abstractApathy is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in neurological and psychiatric illnesses and is associated with adverse outcomes, significant caregiver burden, cognitive and functional impairment, and poor quality of life. Marin's (1991) definition of apathy as an amotivational disorder has gained widespread acceptance, despite recent contentions about this conceptualization. Marin's Apathy Evaluation Scale reflects his view on apathy as constituted by motivation related deficits. In this study I used Marin's Apathy Evaluation scale to assess apathy in a sample of patients (n = 200) presenting at the University of Cape Town/Groote Schuur Hospital's memory clinic with a query of subjective cognitive impairment. I then investigated the cognitive and functional correlates of apathy in this sample. Due to recent debates on the dimensions of apathy symptoms and the disorder's diagnostic features, I initially performed an exploratory factor analysis of the Apathy Evaluation Scale to determine its factors. I then examined associations between the resulting factors or dimensions of the AES and disease-related characteristics such as depressive symptoms (measured on the Cornell Scale for Depression), year-on cognitive impairment (measured on the Deterioration Cognitive Observee), and functional impairment (measured on the Bristol Activities Daily Living Scale). I found that depression and functional impairment were significant predictors of apathy. Behavioral, cognitive, and emotional subdomains of apathy predicted decline in basic and instrumental activities of daily living differently. Lastly, year-on cognitive impairment was not a predictor of apathy. Results from the exploratory factor analysis supported a three-factor model of the Apathy Evaluation Scale but it yielded a sub-domain of social apathy instead of emotional apathy. Previous factor analysis studies reported emotional apathy, together with behavioral and cognitive apathy as sub-domains of apathy. Results from this study have important implications for understanding factors that influence patients' capacities for performing activities of daily living and meeting their functional needs.
dc.identifier.apacitationSebolai, K. (2025). <i>An investigation of functional correlates and predictors of apathy in a Memory Clinic sample</i>. (). Universiy of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41911en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationSebolai, Katlego. <i>"An investigation of functional correlates and predictors of apathy in a Memory Clinic sample."</i> ., Universiy of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2025. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41911en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationSebolai, K. 2025. An investigation of functional correlates and predictors of apathy in a Memory Clinic sample. . Universiy of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41911en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Sebolai, Katlego AB - Apathy is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in neurological and psychiatric illnesses and is associated with adverse outcomes, significant caregiver burden, cognitive and functional impairment, and poor quality of life. Marin's (1991) definition of apathy as an amotivational disorder has gained widespread acceptance, despite recent contentions about this conceptualization. Marin's Apathy Evaluation Scale reflects his view on apathy as constituted by motivation related deficits. In this study I used Marin's Apathy Evaluation scale to assess apathy in a sample of patients (n = 200) presenting at the University of Cape Town/Groote Schuur Hospital's memory clinic with a query of subjective cognitive impairment. I then investigated the cognitive and functional correlates of apathy in this sample. Due to recent debates on the dimensions of apathy symptoms and the disorder's diagnostic features, I initially performed an exploratory factor analysis of the Apathy Evaluation Scale to determine its factors. I then examined associations between the resulting factors or dimensions of the AES and disease-related characteristics such as depressive symptoms (measured on the Cornell Scale for Depression), year-on cognitive impairment (measured on the Deterioration Cognitive Observee), and functional impairment (measured on the Bristol Activities Daily Living Scale). I found that depression and functional impairment were significant predictors of apathy. Behavioral, cognitive, and emotional subdomains of apathy predicted decline in basic and instrumental activities of daily living differently. Lastly, year-on cognitive impairment was not a predictor of apathy. Results from the exploratory factor analysis supported a three-factor model of the Apathy Evaluation Scale but it yielded a sub-domain of social apathy instead of emotional apathy. Previous factor analysis studies reported emotional apathy, together with behavioral and cognitive apathy as sub-domains of apathy. Results from this study have important implications for understanding factors that influence patients' capacities for performing activities of daily living and meeting their functional needs. DA - 2025 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Apathy KW - Apathy Evaluation Scale KW - Cognitive impairment KW - Depression KW - Functional impairment LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - Universiy of Cape Town PY - 2025 T1 - An investigation of functional correlates and predictors of apathy in a Memory Clinic sample TI - An investigation of functional correlates and predictors of apathy in a Memory Clinic sample UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41911 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/41911
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationSebolai K. An investigation of functional correlates and predictors of apathy in a Memory Clinic sample. []. Universiy of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2025 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41911en_ZA
dc.language.isoen
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychology
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanities
dc.publisher.institutionUniversiy of Cape Town
dc.subjectApathy
dc.subjectApathy Evaluation Scale
dc.subjectCognitive impairment
dc.subjectDepression
dc.subjectFunctional impairment
dc.titleAn investigation of functional correlates and predictors of apathy in a Memory Clinic sample
dc.typeThesis / Dissertation
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
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