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An evidence-based approach in the treatment of Huntington's disease

T A Mestre1, J J Ferreira

  • 1Neurological Clinical Research Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. tmestre@gmail.com

Parkinsonism & Related Disorders
|December 20, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Huntington's disease treatments lack strong evidence, with only tetrabenazine approved for chorea. Ongoing research offers hope for future Huntington's disease management strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neurology
  • Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

  • Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with varied symptoms.
  • Currently, no cure or disease-modifying treatments exist for HD.
  • Tetrabenazine is the sole FDA-approved drug, specifically for chorea management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review updated clinical trial results and ongoing research for effective Huntington's disease treatments.
  • To assess therapeutic options for motor, neuropsychiatric, and cognitive symptoms of HD.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of well-designed randomized controlled trials.
  • Analysis of recent clinical trial data and ongoing research efforts.

Main Results:

  • Limited evidence supports most current treatment decisions for Huntington's disease.
  • Expert opinion-based recommendations currently guide clinical practice.

Conclusions:

  • Most Huntington's disease treatments lack robust supporting evidence.
  • Clinical management relies heavily on expert consensus.
  • Significant ongoing research is anticipated to advance HD treatment in the future.

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