Neuropsychological deficits in early, middle, and late stage Huntington's disease as measured by the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery.

Abstract

The study compared 5 patients with recently diagnosed Huntington's Disease with 8 patients whose onset was between 36 and 66 months prior to testing, 6 patients whose onset was greater than 72 months previous, and 7 control patients equated for age and education. The results showed evidence of focal damage in the early group on two scales of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery: Memory and Visual. However, the results also suggested a general diffuse process, present in the early group in only very mild form, but more obvious in the middle and late groups. The findings were consistent with the hypothesis that the diffuse symptoms develop in a continuous rather than abrupt manner. The results also suggest that psychological testing may be useful in the early identification of Huntington's disease.