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Apathy, Genetics, And Functional Status In Persons With Alzheimer Disease, Emilie Dykstra Goris

Faculty Publications

Background/Significance: Alzheimer Disease (AD) is an irreversible dementia that progressively destroys cognitive and daily functioning. About 5.4 million Americans currently suffer from AD, with estimated prevalence to reach 16 million by 2050 (Alzheimer's Association, 2012). AD is often regarded with fear, as most affected individuals eventually fail to recognize loved ones, lose the ability to care for themselves, and may display negative neuropsychiatric behaviors, such as apathy. Apathy is a disorder of motivation with deficits in behavioral, emotional, and/or cognitive domains and is conceptualized as a need-driven behavior, based on the Need-Driven Dementia-Compromised Behavior Model (Algase et al., 1996). Problem: …