title: The neurology of decreased activity: abulia.
abstract: Delirium is sometimes defined as acute onset of either overactivity or underactivity. This         article reviews the nature and clinico-anatomical locations of lesions in patients with         reduced activity. The term abulia is used to describe global underactivity. Abulia is         customarily explained by interruptions in frontal-subcortical circuitry. These interruptions         can occur with lesions in the frontal lobes, caudate nuclei, midbrain, and thalamus. The         article describes the anatomy of frontal and subcortical circuits and reviews in detail         individual cases and series of patients with reduced initiative and activity who have had         localized central nervous system lesions.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Shivani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghoshal
authors.forename: Sankalp
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gokhale
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rebovich
authors.forename: Louis R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Caplan
mesh_terms: D000405:Akinetic Mutism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*