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Symptomatic treatment of Huntington disease

Octavian R Adam1, Joseph Jankovic

  • 1Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.

Neurotherapeutics : the Journal of the American Society for Experimental Neurotherapeutics
|April 9, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Huntington disease (HD) management focuses on symptomatic treatments as no neuroprotective therapies exist. This review examines current and investigational therapies for motor, psychiatric, and cognitive symptoms to improve patient function and quality of life.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Huntington disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
  • HD causes motor, psychiatric, and cognitive impairments, significantly impacting disability.
  • Currently, no effective neuroprotective therapies exist for HD, making symptomatic treatment crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review available and investigational therapies for Huntington disease.
  • To examine the impact of treatments on motor, psychiatric, and cognitive symptoms.
  • To assess the effect of therapies on patient functionality and quality of life.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of pharmacological and surgical interventions for HD.
  • Analysis of treatments targeting hyperkinetic and hypokinetic movement disorders.
  • Evaluation of therapies for psychiatric, behavioral, and cognitive symptoms.

Main Results:

  • Various medication classes (neuroleptics, dopamine depleters, antidepressants, etc.) and surgical options (pallidotomy, DBS, cell transplants) are used for symptomatic relief.
  • Therapeutic approaches must be individualized to minimize adverse effects.
  • No single treatment addresses all facets of HD, necessitating a multimodal approach.

Conclusions:

  • Symptomatic management is the current standard of care for Huntington disease.
  • Personalized therapeutic strategies are essential for optimizing outcomes in HD patients.
  • Further research into novel and neuroprotective therapies is warranted for Huntington disease.

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