title: Assessment of apathy independent of physical disability: validation of the Dimensional Apathy Scale in Italian healthy sample.
abstract: Apathy is well described in neurodegenerative diseases characterized by motor disability; therefore, assessment of apathy avoiding possible confounding effects of motor impairments is necessary in neurological diseases. Recently, the Dimensional Apathy Scale (DAS) was developed to assess apathy as multifaceted construct, independent of physical disability. We developed the Italian version of the Dimensional Apathy Scale (I-DAS) and explored its psychometric properties in a sample of 309 healthy individuals. Participants also completed Apathy Evaluation Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II and Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised. The I-DAS showed high internal consistency, good convergent and divergent validity. The I-DAS had a three-factor structure, such as the original scale. The I-DAS scored was significantly correlated with individuals' education, but not with age or gender. We, therefore, computed correction factor for education and provided percentile distribution of the adjusted scores to identify individuals with high levels of apathy. The I-DAS showed good psychometric properties and can be a valid and reliable tool to assess multidimensional apathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Viale Ellittico, 31, Caserta, Italy. gabriella.santangelo@unina2.it.|IDC-Hermitage-Capodimonte, Naples, Italy. gabriella.santangelo@unina2.it.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7728-852X
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santangelo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Viale Ellittico, 31, Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raimo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Viale Ellittico, 31, Caserta, Italy.|Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Mattia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siciliano
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Viale Ellittico, 31, Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Alfonsina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Iorio
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Viale Ellittico, 31, Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Fausta
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Piscopo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Viale Ellittico, 31, Caserta, Italy.|Department of Medicine and Surgery, Neurodegenerative Diseases Center, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cuoco
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Viale Ellittico, 31, Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bottone
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.|Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center of the Second University of Naples-Italian Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trojsi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Viale Ellittico, 31, Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Viale Ellittico, 31, Caserta, Italy.|Scientific Institute of Telese, Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, Telese Terme, BN, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trojano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D057565:Apathy / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Apathy; Dimensional Apathy Scale; Non motor-symptoms, assessment