A survey-based study identifies common but unrecognized symptoms in a large series of juvenile Huntington's disease.

Abstract

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. A symptom survey was constructed using the online tool Qualtrics and dispersed to JHD caregivers through websites. 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%). 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.