Apathy after hip fracture: a potential target for intervention to improve functional outcomes.
The authors examined apathy symptoms, their improvement, and their association with functional recovery after a hip fracture. Of 126 participants, 37% had clinically significant apathy symptoms, which predicted functional outcome (i.e., poorer recovery from the fracture among those with higher baseline apathy). Of participants with high baseline apathy, approximately one-third improved; these participants had a better functional outcome than those with persistently high apathy scores. It is concluded that apathy symptoms are common after a hip fracture, but improve in one-third of individuals, with a concomitant functional recovery after hip surgery. Interventions to prevent or improve apathy in elderly persons deserve further attention.
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, USA. lenzee@wustl.edu
Eric J
EJ
Lenze
Michael C
MC
Munin
Mary Amanda
MA
Dew
Robert S
RS
Marin
Meryl A
MA
Butters
Elizabeth R
ER
Skidmore
Ellen M
EM
Whyte
Amy
A
Begley
Charles F
CF
Reynolds
D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome