Anita My Goh1, Pierre Wibawa2, Samantha M Loi3, Mark Walterfang4, Dennis Velakoulis3, Jeffrey Cl Looi5. 1. Neuropsychologist, Neuropsychiatry Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, and; Research Fellow, Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, and; National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia. 2. Neuropsychiatry Registrar, Neuropsychiatry Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, and; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, and; Northwestern Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. 3. Neuropsychiatrist, Neuropsychiatry Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, and; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, and; Northwestern Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. 4. Neuropsychiatrist, Neuropsychiatry Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, and; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre & Melbourne, VIC, and; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. 5. Clinical Associate Professor, Neuropsychiatry Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, and; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, and; Associate Professor and Acting Head, Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine, Australian National University Medical School, Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Huntington's disease (HD) is a profoundly incapacitating, and ultimately fatal, neurodegenerative disease. HD is presently incurable, so the current goal is to allow affected individuals to live as well as possible with the illness, to maximise functional independence and quality of life for the person with HD, their carers and family members. This clinical update review focuses on the common neuropsychiatric manifestations in HD, and outlines and evaluates the various neuropsychiatric facets of HD, including the aetiology, symptoms and diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Neuropsychiatric symptoms can precede the classic motor clinical symptoms of HD (prodromal HD) by decades, and cause significant functional impairment. HD provides key insights and understanding into the organic psychiatric disorders, including contemporary clinical insights into the process of neurodegeneration and manifestation of neuropsychiatric symptoms.
OBJECTIVES:Huntington's disease (HD) is a profoundly incapacitating, and ultimately fatal, neurodegenerative disease. HD is presently incurable, so the current goal is to allow affected individuals to live as well as possible with the illness, to maximise functional independence and quality of life for the person with HD, their carers and family members. This clinical update review focuses on the common neuropsychiatric manifestations in HD, and outlines and evaluates the various neuropsychiatric facets of HD, including the aetiology, symptoms and diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS:Neuropsychiatric symptoms can precede the classic motor clinical symptoms of HD (prodromal HD) by decades, and cause significant functional impairment. HD provides key insights and understanding into the organic psychiatric disorders, including contemporary clinical insights into the process of neurodegeneration and manifestation of neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Authors: Christopher J Heath; Claire O'Callaghan; Sarah L Mason; Benjamin U Phillips; Lisa M Saksida; Trevor W Robbins; Roger A Barker; Timothy J Bussey; Barbara J Sahakian Journal: Front Neurol Date: 2019-08-09 Impact factor: 4.003