Risk-Taking Behaviors in Huntington's Disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Clinical Psychology
• Genetics

Background:

• Risky behaviors are common in Huntington's disease (HD), leading to adverse outcomes.
• Systematic studies on the prevalence and scope of these behaviors are lacking.
• No validated screening measures currently exist for risk-taking in HD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel screening tool, the Risk Behavior Questionnaire (RBQ-HD), for assessing risk-taking behaviors in individuals with HD.

Main Methods:

• The RBQ-HD was administered to 60 HD patients and 60 caregivers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (2018-2019).
• Patient self-reports and caregiver collateral reports were collected.
• Clinical and demographic data were sourced from electronic medical records.

Main Results:

• 80% of patients and 91.7% of caregivers reported at least one risky behavior.
• Adverse social behaviors, impulsive/compulsive actions, and reckless driving were most frequent.
• Patient and caregiver reports showed high correlation (r=0.63).

Conclusions:

• Risky behaviors are highly prevalent in HD and can be identified using the RBQ-HD.
• Early frontostriatal and mesolimbic network involvement may contribute to these behaviors.