FRIDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- According to a news article published on April Fool's Day by the BMJ, scientists have discovered a new and potentially life-threatening condition called motivational deficiency disorder (MoDeD).
Leth Argos, a neurologist at the University of Newcastle in Australia, describes the primary symptoms of MoDeD as overwhelming and debilitating apathy, which in severe cases can lead to a potentially fatal complication: a lack of motivation to breathe. One study estimates that one in five Australians may have the condition, costing the economy $1.7 billion per year in lost productivity.
Healthtec, an Australian biotechnology company, is concluding phase II trials of a MoDeD treatment: Indolebant, a cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist. "Indolebant is effective and well tolerated, Dr. Argos said. "One young man who could not leave his sofa is now working as an investment adviser in Sydney."
David Henry, a clinical pharmacologist at the University of Newcastle, accused his colleagues of medicalizing normal slacker tendencies. "Indolebant may bring some relief to those with a debilitating form of MoDeD, but common laziness is not a disease," Dr. Henry said. "People have an absolute right to just sit there."
In protest, Dr. Henry has organized an April 11-13 conference on "disease mongering," which will issue a consensus statement in an upcoming issue of PLoS Medicine.
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