Amotivational syndrome
[1] Marijuana amotivational syndrome has been looked at within the context of how motivation-related constructs influence the young adult in the context of the school or workplace [4] as those affected have poor levels of school-related functioning, are unable to focus on schoolwork due to their lack of motivation, are less satisfied with participating in educational activities, and easily enter into conflict with scholastic authorities.
"Apathy is defined as the presence of diminished motivation in an individual - a development that is not attributable to a reduced level of consciousness, cognitive impairment (e.g., dementia), or emotional distress (i.e., depression)".
[5] This syndrome is linked to the consumption and dosage of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are typically used as antidepressants, and has been reported in patients undergoing SSRI treatment as SSRIs may modulate and alter the activity occurring in the frontal lobe of the brain,[2] one of the four major lobes in the brain that contains most of the dopaminergic pathways that are associated with reward, attention, short-term memory tasks, planning, and motivation.
[5] This brings on a number of similar symptoms that lead to dose dependency and apathy, however, it has often been unrecognized and undiagnosed due to the lack of prevalent data and its subtle and delayed onset.
The US Department of Health and Human Services also warns that usage in youth may result in amotivational symptoms such as an apathetic approach to life, fatigue, and poor academic and work performance.
[11] However, empirical research on the effects of cannabis on users’ motivation implies that there is no strong correlation and that there are numerous alternative explanations of these negative outcomes as a review of laboratory performance research, education data, and employment statistics fail to offer consistent evidence that directly link cannabis to any symptoms associated with amotivational syndrome.
Neuropsychological research has shown that a common feature of amotivational syndrome involves the presence of lesions and other abnormalities in the circulation of the frontal lobe.
[14] Neuroimaging studies of clinical populations have also reported correlations between apathy and structural and functional changes in the frontal lobe in the anterior cingulate gyrus and subregions of the basal ganglia.
[14] Though amotivational syndrome has been an emerging concern for pharmacotherapeutic industries to consider, there is still a growing body of empirical investigations that need to continue in order for the development of novel therapeutic interventions to improve, as well as treatment.
[14] Currently, empirical studies are limited and there is not a substantial enough amount of research to fully understand the link between frontal lobe abnormalities caused by SSRIs and thus resulting in amotivational syndrome.
There is a lack of large-scale clinical studies that focus on the prevalence of SSRI-induced amotivational syndrome with regards to emotional blunting and apathy in both psychiatric or primary care populations, despite the high prescription rates for SSRI medication.
