Síndrome amotivacional en consumidores crónicos de marihuana. Una revisión narrativa para la aproximación al concepto / Amotivational syndrome in chronic marijuana users. A narrative review to approach the concept

Introducción: Durante los últimos sesenta años se ha construido evidencia sobre los efectos adversos relacionados con el consumo crónico de cannabis. Los problemas de memoria y concentración, el riesgo de esquizofrenia en sujetos predispuestos y el síndrome amotivacional han sido referenciados. Con los primeros al parecer no hay muchas dudas, pero en relación con el último, existe controversia. Objetivo: revisar la evidencia científica existente sobre el síndrome amotivacional. Material y Métodos: La revisión se realizó mediante una búsqueda en bases de datos académicas, se tomaron en cuenta las publicaciones que estuvieran relacionadas con trastornos mentales relacionados con el consumo crónico de marihuana en los que se hacía referencia al síndrome amotivacional que cumplieran con criterios de calidad de los artículos apegados a estándares internacionales. Desarrollo: Se incluyó un total de 31 artículos, de los cuales 16 incluían la definición de síndrome amotivacional. Una vez integradas todas las fuentes, se determinó organizar la evidencia encontrada en 15 factores: apatía; desinterés; pasividad; indiferencia; demora en la realización de tareas; pereza; presentismo; desgano para actividades prolongadas que requieran atención o tenacidad; abandono del cuidado personal; desinterés sexual; disminución de los reflejos; autoeficacia disminuida; deterioro de las habilidades comunicativas; retraimiento social y afecto no alterado. Conclusiones: A partir de los hallazgos, se sugiere que el síndrome amotivacional es una constelación de síntomas y/o signos relacionados, lo que podría constituir una morbilidad propia del consumo crónico de cannabis, se espera que en el futuro se desarrollen investigaciones que prueben o rechacen su existencia(AU)

Introduction: Over the past sixty years, evidence for the adverse effects of chronic cannabis use has been demonstrated. Memory and concentration problems, the risk of schizophrenia in predisposed subjects, and amotivational syndrome have been referenced. There is not much doubt in relation to the first effect mentioned, but there is controversy around the last. Objective: To review the existing scientific evidence for the amotivational syndrome. Material and Methods: The review was conducted through academic database searching. The publications related to mental disorders associated with the chronic marijuana use, which referred to amotivational syndrome that fulfilled the criteria for articles attached to international standards, were taken into account. Results: A total of 31 articles were included. Of them, 16 presented the definition of amotivational syndrome. Once all the sources were integrated, the evidence found in 15 factors was organized. These factors included: apathy; disinterest; passivity; indifference; delay to perform tasks; sloth; presentism; reluctance to do prolonged activities that require attention or tenacity; abandonment of personal care; sexual disinterest; decreased reflexes; decreased self-efficacy; impairment in communication skills; social withdrawal, and unaltered affection. Conclusions: Based on these findings, we suggest that the amotivational syndrome is a constellation of symptoms and / or related signs which could constitute a typical morbidity caused by chronic cannabis use, so we expect that future research will be developed to demonstrate or discard their existence(AU)

[Pharmacological Treatment of Apathy in Parkinson's Disease: a Systematic Review of the Literature]. / Tratamiento farmacológico de la apatía en la enfermedad de Parkinson: revisión sistemática de la literatura.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Apathy, defined as a deficit for initiating and maintaining action, is a symptom affecting patients with diverse psychiatric and neuropsychiatric diseases, including dementia, sequelae of traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia, depression, and Parkinson's disease (PD). Apathy negatively affects function and quality of life of PD patients, and it is an important cause of caregiver's distress. The pharmacological treatment of apathy in PD is the focus of this systematic review. METHODS: A comprehensive search and systematic selection was performed in different databases of original research papers on the treatment of apathy in PD. The results were then consolidated, and a critical analysis was made of the research papers. The results are then discussed according to the methodological standards for systematic reviews of the literature. RESULTS: A total of 11 studies were included. Although some studies showed efficacy, all of them had important methodological limitations that hampered the interpretation of results. The results of the examined studies cannot be considered as evidence for guiding clinical decisions. CONCLUSIONS: So far, no evidence-based recommendations can be offered for the treatment of apathy in PD. More studies with better methodological quality are needed. It is a potentially fruitful area for research and one badly needed by both PD patients and their caregivers.

Recent advances in the management of neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The present article addresses intriguing questions related to the clinical intervention in distinct neuropsychiatric syndromes of patients with dementia. RECENT FINDINGS: We reviewed 154 articles published between 2015 and 2016 targeting psychopharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions, and safety-tolerability concerns. We selected 115 articles addressing the purpose of this study. Of these, 33 were chosen because they were dedicated to subtopics: agitation (42), depression (33), apathy (18), sleep disorders/anxiety (8), and psychosis (4). Clinical studies using both pharmacological (70) and nonpharmacological (37) interventions were considered; others were included for theoretical support. Regarding the methodological design, we found double-blind RCTs (17), single-blinded RCTs (4), open-label studies (18), case reports (5), cross-sectional or cohort studies (25), epidemiological papers (2), and expert reviews (44). This observation raises concerns about the overall methodological adequacy of a substantial proportion of studies in this field, which limits the potential of generalization of the findings. Finally, 18 studies were designed to determine safety-tolerability issues of psychotropic medications (6 were discussed). SUMMARY: Effective and well tolerated treatment of neuropsychiatric syndromes in dementia remains a critically unsolved challenge. We understand that this is an extremely important area of research, and critically required to guide clinical decisions in geriatric neuropsychiatry.