Abulia is a state of diminished motivation in which an individual may appear apathetic, disinterested, asocial and emotionally remote. There is currently a lack of information on the recognition and management of abulia in elderly patients, despite the fact that it occurs in conjunction with many conditions that are associated with ageing. Here, the authors review the current literature and describe three cases of abulia in elderly patients that responded well to treatment with bromocriptine. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Interface Ltd