ABSTRACT
This chapter is a comprehensive reference manual providing information on the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES), which is a rating scale using clinician, informant and/or self-ratings. It was designed for clinicians to identify apathy states, discriminate between apathy and depression, and distinguish severity levels of apathy in different diagnostic groups. The AES was developed primarily for people with apathy of neurological aetiology. The original validation studies were conducted with people with Alzheimer’s disease stroke, and major depression. The AES has been studied subsequently with other neurological groups including hypoxia, Parkinson’s disease and traumatic brain injury. A brief history of the instrument's development is provided, along with a description of item content and administration/scoring procedures. Psychometric properties are reviewed and a critical commentary is provided. Key references are cited and in most cases the actual scale is included, giving the reader easy access to the instrument.
