Validating the Chinese version of the Apathy Motivation Index and network analysis of apathy subtypes in a healthy Chinese sample.

Abstract

Apathy is a neuropsychiatric syndrome associated with various negative outcomes in patients with motivational disorders, commonly examined in multiple dimensions including cognitive, behavioral, and emotional domains. While there are some tools to measure apathy in China, there is a lack of appropriate instruments specifically designed to assess social motivation for a more comprehensive definition of apathy. Moreover, there is limited research on the complex interrelations among the intrinsic domains of apathy. Therefore, we developed the Chinese version of the Apathy Motivation Index (AMI) and assessed its reliability and validity in a sample of 758 participants. Network analysis was employed to explore the relationships among different domains of apathy. The Chinese version of the AMI classifies apathy into three domains, namely, behavioral activation, social motivation, and emotional sensitivity, which is consistent with the original scale; it also has good reliability and validity, making it suitable for measuring apathy and motivation in both healthy and patient populations. Additionally, network analysis revealed that apathy within the behavioral activation domain critically contributes to the overall measurement of apathy, while the social motivation dimension may serve as a bridge connecting other dimensions. Our study offers a reliable instrument to investigate apathy in Chinese-speaking individuals and could provide new insights for a better understanding of apathy in neuropsychiatric disorders.