Successful methylphenidate treatment of apathy after subcortical infarcts

M D Watanabe; E M Martin; O A DeLeon; M Gaviria; D G Pavel; D W Trepashko

doi:10.1176/jnp.7.4.502

Successful methylphenidate treatment of apathy after subcortical infarcts

J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 1995 Fall;7(4):502-4. doi: 10.1176/jnp.7.4.502.

Authors

M D Watanabe¹, E M Martin, O A DeLeon, M Gaviria, D G Pavel, D W Trepashko

Affiliation

¹ Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Illinois-Chicago 60612, USA.

PMID: 8555754
DOI: 10.1176/jnp.7.4.502

Abstract

A patient with prominent apathy secondary to multiple subcortical infarcts was treated successfully with methylphenidate. SPECT and reaction time testing showed selective improvement of frontal system function, consistent with a recent model of frontal-subcortical circuits and behavior.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Activities of Daily Living / psychology
Adult
Central Nervous System Stimulants / adverse effects
Central Nervous System Stimulants / therapeutic use*
Cerebral Infarction / diagnostic imaging
Cerebral Infarction / drug therapy*
Cerebral Infarction / psychology
Frontal Lobe / blood supply
Humans
Male
Methylphenidate / adverse effects
Methylphenidate / therapeutic use*
Motivation*
Neurocognitive Disorders / diagnostic imaging
Neurocognitive Disorders / drug therapy*
Neurocognitive Disorders / psychology
Regional Blood Flow / drug effects
Social Behavior
Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Substances

Central Nervous System Stimulants
Methylphenidate