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Article

Quantity and Quality Matter: Different Neuroanatomical Substrates of Apathy in Alzheimer’s Disease and Behavioural Variant Frontotemporal Dementia †

by
Luciano Inácio Mariano
1,2,
Thiago de Oliveira Maciel
3,
Henrique Cerqueira Guimarães
2,
Leandro Boson Gambogi
1,
Antônio Lúcio Teixeira Júnior
4,5,
Paulo Caramelli
1,2,6 and
Leonardo Cruz de Souza
1,2,6,*
1
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
2
Behavioural and Cognitive Neurology Uni, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 30130-110, MG, Brazil
3
Quantum Research Center, Technology Innovation Institute, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 9639, United Arab Emirates
4
Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX 77054, USA
5
Santa Casa BH Ensino e Pesquisa, Belo Horizonte 30150-221, MG, Brazil
6
Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 30130-100, MG, Brazil
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
This paper is part of PhD thesis.
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(5), 447; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15050447
Submission received: 13 February 2025 / Revised: 29 March 2025 / Accepted: 19 April 2025 / Published: 25 April 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontotemporal Dementia: Behavioural and Neuroimaging Studies)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Background: Apathy is almost ubiquitous across neurodegenerative diseases and can be a general model for understanding neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia. Methods: We assessed apathy via Starkstein’s Apathy Scale—caregiver version (SAS-C) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). Neuropsychological and structural neuroimaging data were also collected. Images were processed using the FreeSurfer program, and cortical thickness data were acquired for 68 brain regions. Results: Patients with bvFTD had statistically higher levels of apathy than those with AD. The multivariate linear regression model found that the left entorhinal cortex (lEC) was the only region statistically associated with apathy in the AD group (F(1,31) = 5.17; p = 0.030; R2 = 0.527), whereas, for bvFTD, the right lateral orbitofrontal cortex achieved significant association with apathy (F(1,30) = 5.69; p = 0.009; R2 = 0.804). Conclusions: These results demonstrate that apathy is associated with multiple brain regions, reinforcing its multidimensionality and specific profiles.
Keywords: apathy; frontotemporal dementia; Alzheimer’s disease; MRI; differential diagnosis; neuropsychology apathy; frontotemporal dementia; Alzheimer’s disease; MRI; differential diagnosis; neuropsychology

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Mariano, L.I.; Maciel, T.d.O.; Guimarães, H.C.; Gambogi, L.B.; Teixeira Júnior, A.L.; Caramelli, P.; de Souza, L.C. Quantity and Quality Matter: Different Neuroanatomical Substrates of Apathy in Alzheimer’s Disease and Behavioural Variant Frontotemporal Dementia. Brain Sci. 2025, 15, 447. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15050447

AMA Style

Mariano LI, Maciel TdO, Guimarães HC, Gambogi LB, Teixeira Júnior AL, Caramelli P, de Souza LC. Quantity and Quality Matter: Different Neuroanatomical Substrates of Apathy in Alzheimer’s Disease and Behavioural Variant Frontotemporal Dementia. Brain Sciences. 2025; 15(5):447. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15050447

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mariano, Luciano Inácio, Thiago de Oliveira Maciel, Henrique Cerqueira Guimarães, Leandro Boson Gambogi, Antônio Lúcio Teixeira Júnior, Paulo Caramelli, and Leonardo Cruz de Souza. 2025. "Quantity and Quality Matter: Different Neuroanatomical Substrates of Apathy in Alzheimer’s Disease and Behavioural Variant Frontotemporal Dementia" Brain Sciences 15, no. 5: 447. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15050447

APA Style

Mariano, L. I., Maciel, T. d. O., Guimarães, H. C., Gambogi, L. B., Teixeira Júnior, A. L., Caramelli, P., & de Souza, L. C. (2025). Quantity and Quality Matter: Different Neuroanatomical Substrates of Apathy in Alzheimer’s Disease and Behavioural Variant Frontotemporal Dementia. Brain Sciences, 15(5), 447. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15050447

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