title: Nonpharmacological management of apathy in dementia:  a systematic review.
abstract: Apathy is one of the most challenging and prevalent behavioral symptoms of dementia. It is associated with increased disability and caregiver frustration as well as reduced quality of life, rehabilitation outcomes and survival after nursing home admission. A literature search to set criteria yielded 56 nonpharmacological intervention studies with outcomes relevant to apathy in dementia. Studies were rated according to quality and categorized into 7 groups: exercise, music, multisensory, animals, special care programming, therapeutic activities and miscellaneous. Despite a lack of methodological rigor, it is apparent that nonpharmacological interventions have the potential to reduce apathy. This review indicates that therapeutic activities, particularly those provided individually, have the best available evidence for effectiveness in dementia. Recommendations are provided for quality research.
authors.affiliation: Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales (HB), Randwick, New South Wales, Australia. h.brodaty@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brodaty
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Burns
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057565:Apathy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*