Brief Behavioral Activation Therapy is effective on apathy symptoms of the older adults with mild Alzheimer's disease but not with moderate Alzheimer's disease

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Brief Behavioral Activation Therapy (BBAT) on apathy symptoms in older adults with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a medical center facility.MethodIn an experimental design, 90 older adults with AD were replaced into three groups including two experimental groups (mild AD group (n = 30), moderate AD group (n = 30)) and a control group (15 participants with mild AD and 15 participants with moderate AD). All participants completed the Dimensional Apathy Scale (DAS) before and after an eight-session BBAT intervention, with follow-up conducted two months post-treatment. A 3 x 3 mixed ANOVA was performed to analyze differences in apathy levels across groups over time, using SPSS version 26.ResultsThe mixed ANOVA revealed significant differences in all apathy dimensions (executive, emotional and initial symptoms) among the groups. Specifically, significant between-subject and within-subject differences, respectively for group main effect and time main effect, along with a significant interaction between group and time. These findings indicated that apathy symptoms in patients with mild AD significantly decreased from pretest to post- intervention, but there wasn't significant change in moderate AD and control group.ConclusionThe findings suggested that BBAT is effective in reducing apathy symptoms in patients with mild AD. Early evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of apathy in the mild stages of AD are crucial for improving patient outcomes.