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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

New Atlas [newatlas.com]:

A new study, led by neuroscientists from the University of Cambridge, has identified apathy as an important early sign of dementia. The research finds apathy is distinct from depression, and offers a more accurate longitudinal association with the onset of dementia.
...
To study this particular distinction between apathy and depression, and their relationship with dementia, the researchers looked at two independent cohorts with cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), totaling more than 450 subjects. SVD is a common age-related condition and it’s the leading cause of vascular dementia, so following SVD patients for several years before dementia develops offers a good insight into the earliest pre-clinical signs of cognitive decline.

The compelling results revealed those subjects with higher baseline apathy levels, or increasing levels of apathy over time, were at a significantly higher risk of developing dementia. Interestingly, the results showed no similar correlation between depression and dementia, even when a subject’s rate of depression increased over time.

If you really don't care about this study, you might be in trouble...

Original Submission