Skip to main content

STUDY PROTOCOL article

Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neurorehabilitation
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1358102
This article is part of the Research Topic Innovations in Translational and Experimental Stroke Research View all articles

Apathy in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Study Protocol for a 1-Year Follow-Up Study

Provisionally accepted
Wai Kwong Tang Wai Kwong Tang *Kwok Chu George Wong Kwok Chu George Wong
  • The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: Apathy is a frequent and debilitating condition among subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) survivors. Few studies have evaluated apathy in SAH, and none have examined the course of the condition, predictors of persistent apathy, or its impact on functional outcomes. The proposed study will examine, for the first time, the 12-month course of apathy and its impact on functional outcomes in the largest cohort of SAH survivors to date.The current study is designed as a prospective cohort study with a duration of 36 months. We will recruit 240 participants. A trained research assistant will assess apathy using the Apathy Evaluation Scale 3 months after SAH. Patients' level of functioning, comorbidity, global cognitive functioning, and depressive symptoms will be assessed. All SAH patients will participate in follow-up assessments of apathy and functioning at 9 (T2) and 15 months (T3) post-SAH or at 6 and 12 months after the first assessment. Predictors of persistent apathy and the impact of apathy on functional outcomes will be examined.Discussion: This will be the first large-scale 1-year follow-up study of apathy in SAH survivors. The findings will provide valuable data to advance our understanding of the clinical course of apathy in this population. Moreover, the results will have clinical relevance by providing essential information to patients, caregivers, and clinicians; promoting the evaluation of apathy; and facilitating the development of prevention strategies, rehabilitation programs, and therapeutic options.

    Keywords: Apathy, Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Stroke, Functional Independence Measurement (FIM), Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL)

    Received: 19 Dec 2023; Accepted: 22 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Tang and Wong. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Wai Kwong Tang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.