Apathy in XXXX as a deficit in the generation of options for action.

@entity1 @entity161 @entity914 @entity146
Negative symptoms are a core feature of @entity161 and have been grouped into 2 factors: a motivational factor, which we refer to as apathy, and a diminished expression factor. Recent studies have shown that apathy is closely linked to functional outcome. However, knowledge about its mechanisms and its relation to decision-making is limited. In the current study, we examined whether apathy in @entity161 is associated with predecisional deficits, that is, deficits in the generation of options for action. We applied verbal protocol analysis to investigate the quantity of options generated in ill-structured real world scenarios in 30 @entity1 with @entity161 or @entity914 and 21 healthy control @entity1 . @entity1 generated significantly fewer options than control @entity1 and clinical apathy ratings correlated negatively with the quantity of generated options. We show that the association between measures of psychopathology and option generation is most pronounced in regard to apathy symptoms and that it is only partially mediated by deficits in verbal fluency. This study provides empirical support for dysfunctional option generation as a possible mechanism for apathy in @entity161 . Our data emphasize the potential importance of predecisional stages in the development and persistence of apathy symptoms in @entity146 and might also inform the development of novel treatment options in the realm of cognitive remediation. (PsycINFO Database Record
