experienced during previous episodes or depression, or that their feelings of apathy had no link to depression. Apathy syndrome has also been reported in a number of patients that have received or are receiving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment over the last decade, which has also been linked to a deficit in the performance and activities of daily living, signaling a functional decline. It is a common behavioural problem that often goes undiagnosed and untreated, which is why it is considered to be clinical significant. 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. 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. Recent case-control studies have also reported that apathy has appeared to be greater in patients who were treated with SSRI medication compared to patients who were not. Current findings are consistent with other findings supporting the correlation of SSRI and apathy due to the occurrence of abnormalities found within various regions of the frontal lobe. 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. 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. There are also no current clinically popular scales to measure and assess SSRI-induced apathy. The Oxford Questionnaire of Emotional Side Effects of Antidepressants (OQESA) is a scale under development and presents a 26-item, Likert-style, self-report scale that aims to understand respondents’ emotional experiences such as a general reduction in emotions, a reduction in positive emotions, emotional detachment and blunting, and feelings of not caring. Respondents are also asked to what extent they believe their antidepressant is responsible for these emotional symptoms. See also Avolition Effects of cannabis References Cannabis