| Literature DB >> 30040737 |
Karen E Anderson1, Erik van Duijn2, David Craufurd3,4, Carolyn Drazinic5, Mary Edmondson6, Nathan Goodman7, Daniel van Kammen8, Clement Loy9, Josef Priller10, LaVonne Veatch Goodman7.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In clinical practice, several strategies and pharmacological options are available to treat neuropsychiatric symptoms of Huntington disease (HD). However, there is currently insufficient data for evidence-based guidelines on the management of these common symptoms.Entities:
Keywords: Agitation; Huntington disease; anxiety; apathy; clinical management; expert opinion; guidelines; psychosis; sleep disorders
Mesh:
Year: 2018 PMID: 30040737 PMCID: PMC6294590 DOI: 10.3233/JHD-180293
Source DB: PubMed Journal: J Huntingtons Dis ISSN: 1879-6397
Fig.1Level of agreement with statements in each symptom domain. Numbers on left hand side represent the percent of people who strongly agreed or agreed, while the numbers on the right hand side represent the remainder.
General Management for Symptoms of HD
| Obtain information about the symptom from the individual with HD when possible, and collateral information from carers. |
| Identify coexisting psychiatric symptoms of HD that can contribute to the presenting symptom. |
| Identify comorbid medical conditions that may contribute to the presenting symptom of HD. |
| Review medications that may contribute to the presenting symptom. |
| Identify environmental factors that may contribute to the presenting symptom or its severity. |
| Provide educational information about the nature and presentations of the symptom in HD. |
| Provide information about methods that may be helpful for modifying symptom triggers. |
| Drug choice in HD should be influenced by coexisting symptoms and stage of disease. |
| Consult with a psychiatrist with knowledge of HD for those individuals who are resistant to standard pharmacologic treatment. |
| Regularly reassess continued need of drugs and potential for dose reduction because many of the adverse effects are difficult to distinguish from aspects of disease progression. |
Clinical Practice Guidelines for Sleep Disorders in HD
| Treat co-morbid medical conditions, coexisting psychiatric symptoms, pain, or substance use that can contribute to sleep disturbance in HD. |
| Assess and adjust dosing schedule of drugs that may contribute either to daytime sleepiness or nocturnal insomnia. |
| Provide information regarding good sleep hygiene as the initial step for treating sleep disturbances. |
| Melatonin is a pharmacologic option particularly when there is pattern of circadian rhythm disordered sleep. |
| Sedating antidepressants such as mirtazapine or trazodone are pharmacologic options for treating sleep disorders in HD. |
| Sedating neuroleptics such as olanzapine and quetiapine are pharmacologic options for treating sleep disorders in HD. |
| Clomipramine is a pharmacologic option if this drug is needed for management of coexisting obsessive perseverative symptoms. |
| Use of a benzodiazepine is discouraged in ambulatory individuals unless all other options have failed. |
Clinical Practice Guidelines for Agitation in HD
| Identify and treat comorbid medical conditions that can precipitate acute agitation that include infectious, metabolic, toxic, drug-related, substance use, or other medical causes of acute psychosis/delirium. |
| Promptly treat irritability or other coexisting psychiatric symptoms and sleep disturbances in HD as preventative strategy for agitation. |
| Modify environmental factors that can contribute to agitation including excessive noise or other overstimulation, pain and other unmet comfort needs, and misperceived threats. |
| Provide educational information to carers about behavioral strategies that may lessen or prevent agitation behaviors. |
| When not a threat to self or others, the preferred initial response is to provide a safe, quiet space, time to calm down, and gentle verbal support. |
| For acute agitation that is not responsive to behavioral strategies, the preferred pharmacologic options include use of either a benzodiazepine or an antipsychotic drug. |
| For chronic agitation characterized by recurrent and ongoing distress, or continuing threat of harm to self or others pharmacologic options include either an antipsychotic or a mood-stabilizing antiepileptic drug. |
| Consider a trial of pain medication when other therapies have failed for agitation in individuals who are unable to verbally communicate cause of distress. |
Clinical Practice Guidelines for Anxiety in HD
| Treat coexisting psychiatric symptoms or comorbid medical conditions that can contribute to anxiety. |
| Modify environmental factors that can contribute to anxiety. |
| Offer psychological behavioral therapy as first step in treatment for earlier stage individuals with anxiety. |
| An SSRI drug is the preferred pharmacologic option for treatment of anxiety when it occurs either as an isolated symptom or when coexisting depression or obsessive perseverative behaviors are present. |
| Warning should be given of potential short-term exacerbation of anxiety when an SSRI is initiated. If exacerbation occurs it may be appropriate to add a short-term course (one or two weeks) of a benzodiazepine. |
| Alternative serotonergic drugs (SSRI, NSRI, clomipramine) are pharmacologic options if the initial SSRI is ineffective or not tolerated. |
| Mirtazapine is a pharmacologic option particularly if coexisting sleep disorder is present. |
| An antipsychotic is a pharmacologic option particularly if needed for treatment of coexisting chorea. |
| Clomipramine is a pharmacologic option particularly if needed for coexisting obsessive perseverative behaviors. |
| Long-term use of a benzodiazepine drug is discouraged in ambulatory individuals with HD unless all other options have failed. |
Clinical Practice Guidelines for Apathy in HD
| Differentiate apathy from impaired ability of the individual to perform motor or cognitive tasks. |
| Consider dose reduction of medications (prescribed for other symptoms) which may contribute to apathy. |
| Treat coexisting depression that may contribute to apathy. |
| Provide prompts and encouragement of social and physical activities that have been adapted to the individual. |
| An antidepressant is the preferred pharmacologic option when there is difficulty differentiating apathy of depression from apathy of HD. |
| Consider a trial of an activating antidepressant or stimulant drug as pharmacologic options for the non-depressed individual. |
| Warning should be given for potential worsening of irritability and sleep disturbance when prescribing an activating antidepressant or a stimulant drug. |
Clinical Practice Guidelines for Psychosis in HD
| Identify and treat comorbid medical conditions that can precipitate acute onset of psychotic symptoms that include infectious, metabolic, toxic, drug-related, substance use, or other medical or acute psychosis/delirium. |
| Treat co-existing psychiatric symptoms of HD including obsessive perseverative and sleep disorders. |
| Modify external environmental factors that may contribute to distress of psychotic symptoms. |
| An antipsychotic drug is the first line pharmacologic treatment for psychosis in HD. |
| An alternative antipsychotic should be used when psychotic symptoms have not been adequately controlled by the initial drug. |
| Exceeding maximum recommended dose of any antipsychotic is discouraged. |
| Combining antipsychotic drugs is discouraged, reserved only for more severe presentations of psychosis in HD. |
| Consider clozapine when psychotic symptoms have not adequately responded to other antipsychotics in those situations where interval blood testing is possible. |
| Regularly reassess the continued need of an antipsychotic because many of the adverse effects of these drugs are difficult to distinguish from aspects of disease progression. |