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Published on: November 21, 2013
A survey-based study identifies common but unrecognized symptoms in a large series of juvenile Huntington's disease
Amelia D Moser1, Eric Epping1, Patricia Espe-Pfeifer2
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA.
Aim:
The symptoms of Huntington's disease are well known, yet the symptoms of juvenile Huntington's disease (JHD) are less established due to its rarity. The study examined a cluster of symptoms considered to be common, but under-recognized in JHD: pain, itching, sleeping difficulties, psychosis and tics.
Materials & Methods:
A symptom survey was constructed using the online tool Qualtrics and dispersed to JHD caregivers through websites.
Results:
A total of 33 surveys were completed. Disrupted sleep was the most prevalent symptom (87%), followed by tics (78%), pain (69%), itching (60%) and psychosis (39%).
Conclusion:
Despite limitations, the study supports that there are symptoms in the JHD population that are not considered classic, however, are common and significant for patients and caregivers.
