Course of irritability, depression and apathy in Huntington's disease in relation to motor symptoms during a two-year follow-up period.

Background: Irritability, depression and apathy are frequently reported neuropsychiatric symptoms of Huntington's disease (HD).

Objective: This study investigated the course of irritability, depression and apathy in HD during a 2-year follow-up period.

Methods: In 121 HD mutation carriers the presence of irritability, depression and apathy was measured with the Problem Behaviours Assessment (PBA).

Irritability in Huntington's disease.

Irritability is a frequent neuropsychiatric symptom in patients with Huntington's disease (HD). The Irritability Scale (IS) and the irritability factor of the Problem Behaviours Assessment (PBA) was used to assess irritability among 130 HD mutation carriers and 43 verified non-carriers. The IS was tested using receiver operating characteristic analysis against different cut-offs of the PBA irritability factor.

Incidence, course, and predictors of apathy in Huntington's disease: a two-year prospective study.

This study examined the incidence and course of apathy in subjects with Huntington's disease (HD). Our results showed that at follow-up 14% of the subjects free of apathy at baseline had developed apathy. In these subjects, a lower baseline Mini-Mental State Exam score predicted incidence of apathy.

Hypokinesia in Huntington's disease co-occurs with cognitive and global dysfunctioning.

Besides chorea, hypokinesia is an important motor disturbance in Huntington's disease (HD) but its clinical, neuropsychiatric, and cognitive functioning correlates are largely unknown. This cross-sectional study investigates correlates of hypokinesia in HD and its effect on global functioning. Among 150 HD gene carriers, 96 patients were clinically motor manifest.