Third Annual Huntington Disease Clinical Research Symposium

Neurotherapeutics, 2008

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry designates this educational activity for a maximum of 4.75 credits in the AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ system. Physicians should claim credit only commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

International Psychogeriatrics, 2011

Neurotherapeutics

Background: Huntington's disease (HD) results in motor, cognitive, and psychosocial impairments. Little is known about the specific relationships among cognitive, psychosocial, and simple and complex motor task performance. Objective: The objective of this pilot study was to explore performance on motor, cognitive, and behavioral measures between individuals with HD and healthy controls, and to determine the relationships among specific domains of cognitive function and motor function and pain. Methods: Individuals with HD and healthy controls performed a battery of cognitive, motor, and survey measures (i.e., fall reports, quality of life, and pain) in a single session. We examined differences between individuals with HD and controls, as well as relationships among motor, cognitive, and survey measures. Results: Four individuals with HD (mean(SD) age: 62.5(14.5); symptom duration: 5.8(7.1); 1 female) and six healthy controls (age: 50.7(9.7); 6 females) completed this study. There was no significant difference between groups for age, gender, or years of education. As expected, individuals with HD performed significantly worse on motor and cognitive testing, as evidenced by slower walking (p = 0.019), poorer lower extremity coordination (p = 0.038), poorer working memory (p = 0.010), and worse pain severity (p = 0.010). Poorer working memory was significantly related to poorer performance timed walking (r = − 0.705; p = 0.023); lower extremity coordination (r = − 0.657; p = 0.039); and dual-tasks (r = − 0.760; p = 0.011), as well as reports of more falls (r = − 0.709; p = 0.022). Poorer cognitive processing speed was specifically related to worse dual-task performance (r = − 0.733; p = 0.016). Worse pain severity was significantly related to slower timed walking (r = 0.679; p = 0.031); poorer lower extremity coordination (r = 0.743; p = 0.014); and worse dual-task performance (r = 0.731; p = 0.016), as well as poorer working memory (r > − 0.811; p < 0.004) and reports of more falls (r = 0.713; p = 0.021). Conclusions: Individuals with HD experience declines in motor and cognitive performance, as well as increased pain, compared to healthy controls. Quick and easily administered motor tests, such as timed walking and lower extremity coordination, as well as surveys to assess pain, may be useful in determining underlying cognitive impairments in working memory and processing speed. Assessment of these factors may help clinicians to tailor rehabilitation protocols to improve outcomes in persons with HD.

Geriatrics and Aging, 2002

Movement disorders have a high prevalence in the elderly. In fact, disorders of gait and mobility are second only to cognitive impairment as the most prevalent neurologic disorders of aging.1 Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized by alterations in mood, memory and movement first described by George Huntington in 1872.2,3 Recent advances in the elucidation of the pathophysiology of this disease may have implications in the development of more specific and effective treatments. The following article will review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of HD, including novel treatments currently under development.

Clinical Parkinsonism &amp; Related Disorders, 2020

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2016

Movement Disorders Clinical Practice, 2019

Neurotherapeutics, 2009