uh-BOO-lee-uh, uh-BYOO-lee-uh, from the Greek aboulia, meaning indecisiveness.
Aboulia refers to an absence of will or initiative, or an inability to make decisions. Patients with aboulia are conscious and aware, but they just don't seem to want to do very much. It's slightly different from apathy: Apathetic patients can generally perceive alternatives, but don't care which one comes to pass, while aboulic patients can't come up with any decisions or plans at all. Aboulia may be a symptom of encephalitis or extensive leucotomy (like Jack Nicholson's character at the end of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest). Depressed patients seem to have trouble making decisions, but they're generally considered apathetic, not aboulic.