Apathy in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Clinical Characteristics, Neurobiological Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Strategies

Apathy is a prevalent yet frequently underrecognized neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by diminished motivation and reduced goal‐directed behavior across multiple domains. It is strongly associated with poorer functional outcomes, increased caregiver burden, and decreased quality of life in various neuropsychiatric conditions. Despite its clinical importance, apathy remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, partly due to overlapping features with depression and cognitive impairment. This narrative review synthesizes current knowledge on conceptualization, neurobiological mechanisms, diagnostic criteria, and management strategies for apathy, adopting a transdiagnostic perspective across disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, multiple sclerosis, and major psychiatric conditions. This review distinguishes itself by integrating subtype‐based approaches, biomarker insights, and emerging digital tools, providing a framework for more precise characterization and personalized intervention. This review is based on a nonsystematic literature search conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar for articles published between 2011 and 2025. Improved characterization and management of apathy are essential for optimizing patient outcomes, reducing caregiver burden, and guiding future research.