Evaluation of apathy in non-clinical populations: validation, psychometric properties, and normative data of the Italian version of Apathy-Motivation Index (AMI)

INTRODUCTION: Evaluation of apathy in non-clinical populations is relevant to identify individuals at risk for developing cognitive decline in later stages of life, and it should be performed with questionnaires specifically designed for healthy individuals, such as the Apathy-Motivation Index (AMI); therefore, the aim of the present study was to validate the AMI in a healthy Italian population, and to provide normative data of the scale. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data collection was performed using a survey completed by 500 healthy participants; DAS, MMQ-A, BIS-15, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 were used to investigate convergent and divergent validity. Internal consistency and factorial structure were also evaluated. A regression-based procedure and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analyses were used to evaluate the influence of socio-demographic variables on AMI scores and to provide adjusting factors and three cut-offs for the detection of mild, moderate, and severe apathy. RESULTS: The Italian version of the AMI included 17 items (one item was removed because it was not internally consistent) and demonstrated good psychometric properties. The three-factor structure of AMI was confirmed. Multiple regression analysis revealed no effect of sociodemographic variables on the total AMI score. ROC analyses revealed three cut-offs of 1.5, 1.66, and 2.06 through the Youden’s J statistic to detect mild, moderate, and severe apathy, respectively. CONCLUSION: The Italian version of the AMI reported similar psychometric properties, factorial structure, and cut-offs to the original scale. This may help researchers and clinicians to identify people at risk and address them in specific interventions to lower their apathy levels. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10072-023-06774-0.