Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Single Synapse Indicators of Glutamate Release and Uptake in Acute Brain Slices from Normal and Huntington Mice
08:27

Single Synapse Indicators of Glutamate Release and Uptake in Acute Brain Slices from Normal and Huntington Mice

Published on: March 11, 2020

Neuropsychiatry of Huntington's disease

Adam Rosenblatt1

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neurobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. arosenb3@jhmi.edu

Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience
|August 31, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Huntington's disease (HD) presents with diverse psychiatric symptoms, including depression and executive dysfunction. Many of these neuropsychiatric conditions show positive responses to treatment, offering hope for improved patient care.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Psychiatric manifestations are a core feature of Huntington's disease (HD).
  • These symptoms can mimic idiopathic disorders or be unique to HD, stemming from subcortical neuropathology.
  • Common presentations include major depression and a distinct executive dysfunction syndrome.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the spectrum of psychiatric manifestations in Huntington's disease.
  • To discuss the potential neuropathological underpinnings of these symptoms.
  • To explore treatment responsiveness and implications for broader psychiatric research.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on psychiatric symptoms in Huntington's disease.
  • Analysis of case series, anecdotal reports, and clinical experience regarding treatment.
  • Synthesis of findings to understand the neuropsychiatry of HD.

Main Results:

  • Psychiatric symptoms in HD range from idiopathic-like disorders to unique syndromes like executive dysfunction.
  • Subcortical neuropathologic changes are the presumed cause of most psychiatric issues.
  • Evidence suggests many HD psychiatric syndromes respond well to treatment, despite limited controlled studies.

Conclusions:

  • Neuropsychiatric symptoms are a significant aspect of Huntington's disease.
  • Further research into HD neuropsychiatry may illuminate mechanisms of psychiatric conditions in the general population.
  • Prompt recognition and treatment of psychiatric symptoms can improve outcomes for HD patients.

More Related Videos

Efficient and Scalable Production of Full-length Human Huntingtin Variants in Mammalian Cells using a Transient Expression System10:52

Efficient and Scalable Production of Full-length Human Huntingtin Variants in Mammalian Cells using a Transient Expression System

Published on: December 10, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Huntington Disease l: Introduction01:21

Huntington Disease l: Introduction

Huntington disease or HD is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disorder inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern.PathophysiologyIt is caused by expansion of the CAG trinucleotide repeat in the HTT gene on chromosome 4 (4p16.3), producing an abnormal huntingtin protein with an expanded polyglutamine tract. This misfolded protein disrupts cellular function, leading to neuronal death. Normal alleles have ≤26 repeats, 27–35 are intermediate (risk of expansion), 36–39 show reduced penetrance,...
Parkinson's Disease: Overview01:15

Parkinson's Disease: Overview

Neurodegenerative disorders are progressive diseases that cause irreversible damage and loss to neurons in specific brain areas. Examples of these disorders include Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). These disorders share characteristics such as proteinopathies, selective neuronal vulnerability, and a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The primary therapeutic goal for these conditions is to...
Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology01:24

Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology

Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting movement, with additional non-motor features. Its pathophysiology involves complex interactions among genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and cellular dysfunction, including dopaminergic neuron loss, protein aggregation, and mitochondrial impairment.Selective NeurodegenerationA key feature is the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, leading to reduced...
Parkinson's Disease: Treatment01:24

Parkinson's Disease: Treatment

Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease (PD), involve the gradual and irreversible destruction of neurons in particular brain areas. These disorders exhibit standard features like proteinopathies, selective vulnerability of some neurons, and an interaction of intrinsic properties, genetics, and environmental influences in neural injury.
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of its...
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders01:27

Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose origins are rooted in complex genetic components. Despite our burgeoning understanding, the pathophysiology of this disorder remains incompletely deciphered.
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology01:23

Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology

Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...