Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37508993›Full record

ReviewBrain sciences2023

A Systematic Review of Pharmacological Interventions for Apathy in Aging Neurocognitive Disorders.

Christos Theleritis, Kostas Siarkos, Anastasios Politis, Nikolaos Smyrnis, Charalabos Papageorgiou, Antonios M Politis

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Brain sciences, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. [Nan fang yi ke da xue xue bao = Journal of Southern Medical University · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Christos TheleritisFirst Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Eginition Hospital, 74 Vas. Sofias Ave., 11528 Athens, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-7313-6908
Kostas SiarkosFirst Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Eginition Hospital, 74 Vas. Sofias Ave., 11528 Athens, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-3366-2989
Anastasios PolitisSecond Department of Neurosurgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon Hospital, 1 Rimini Str., 12462 Athens, Greece.
Nikolaos SmyrnisSecond Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon Hospital, 1 Rimini Str., 12462 Athens, Greece.
Charalabos PapageorgiouFirst Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Eginition Hospital, 74 Vas. Sofias Ave., 11528 Athens, Greece.
Antonios M PolitisFirst Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Eginition Hospital, 74 Vas. Sofias Ave., 11528 Athens, Greece.ORCID 0000-0003-0261-7517
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens · GRJohns Hopkins University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveApathy, a frequent neuropsychiatric symptom in aging neurocognitive disorders, has been associated with cognitive decline and functional disability. Therefore, timely provision of pharmacological interventions for apathy is greatly needed.

designA systematical literature review of existing studies was conducted up to 30 May 2023 in several databases (PubMed, PsychInfo, Cochrane, Google Scholar, etc.) that included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses assessing pharmacological treatments for apathy in aging neurocognitive disorders. The quality of the studies was appraised.

resultsIn patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD), donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine, methylphenidate, and gingko biloba were proven efficacious for apathy, while rivastigmine, cognitive enhancer IRL752 and piribedil were found to be beneficial in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) and agomelatine in patients with Frontotemporal Dementia (FD). The extensive proportion of RCTs in which apathy was used as a secondary outcome measure, along with the considerable methodological heterogeneity, did not allow the evaluation of group effects.

conclusionsPharmacological interventions for apathy in aging neurocognitive disorders are complex and under-investigated. The continuation of systematic research efforts and the provision of individualized treatment for patients suffering from these disorders is vital.

Indexed as

aging neurocognitive disordersAlzheimer’s disease (AD)apathydementiafrontotemporal dementia (FTD)Huntington’s disease (HD)Parkinson’s disease (PD)pharmacological treatments

Identifiers

PMID37508993
PMCPMC10377475
OpenAlexW4384201440

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.