Motor Problems Research Articles

COMBINED FIRST AND SECOND-ORDER SLIDING MODE CONTROL OF INDUCTION MOTOR

This paper uses hybrid sliding mode control to solve an output feedback tracking problem for the induction motor (IM). The main idea of this approach lies in the design of a law that ensures a smooth transition between two sliding regimes based on the choice of two sliding surfaces, one being linked to the other. The control is a combination of first and second-order sliding modes. The proposed approach controls the speed and rotor flux amplitude of the induction motor and guarantees the stability of the decoupled speed and rotor flux by using a Lyapunov method. The hybrid sliding mode algorithm provides robustness despite external disturbances and parameter variations. The controller has been implemented on an experimental setup, and results are presented to confirm the proposed method's effectiveness, robustness, and good performance.

The Comparison of Two Multitasking Approaches to Cognitive Training in Patients after Coronary Bypass Surgery: Theta Activity Changes and <i>sLORETA</i> Analysis Data

The study investigated the changes in theta activity and localization of its sources by standardized low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) in patients who have underwent two variants of multitasking cognitive training (CT) in the early postoperative period of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Two groups were formed in a pseudo-random way, which differed according to the type of motor problem used: CT I (n = 27) – a postural balance task and CT II (n = 27) – a simple visual-motor reaction. Cognitive tasks were the same for both groups (counting backwards, verbal fluency, and unusual uses for common objects). Daily sessions of CT were held from the 3rd to 4th day after CABG, with a duration of 5 minutes on the 1st day of training and up to 20 minutes on the 6th to 7th day of training. The current density of theta rhythm sources was lower before CABG than after surgery in the CT II group only. The most significant differences are in the Brodmann area 31, the parietal occipital lobes and precuneus, which may indicate damage associated with cardiac surgery. This effect was not observed in the CT I group. The results of our study demonstrated the informativeness of sLORETA indicators to determine an effective cognitive recovery option after CABG. The reduction of the severity of damaging effects of CABG during training using cognitive tasks and postural balance task was shown. Further research is needed to determine the optimal mode and duration of cognitive training to maximize the functional reserves of such patients.

Cortical brain potentials in response to lower limb proprioceptive stimuli in young adults with probable developmental coordination disorder

BackgroundProprioceptive deficits have been shown to underlie motor problems in individuals with a probable developmental coordination disorder (pDCD). Behavioral studies have employed response times to passive limb movement to evaluate proprioceptive function in individuals with pDCD. However, the underlying neural mechanisms involved in the cortical processing of proprioceptive input and its corresponding motor response are unclear. To address this issue, this study aims to investigate neuropsychological and neurophysiological performances using event-related potentials (ERP) on proprioceptive-motor tasks in young adults with pDCD. MethodsFrom a total of 149 young adults screened using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2nd Edition Complete Form (BOT-2), 12 individuals with pDCD were identified (mean age ± SD: 20.50 ± 1.08 years) along with 12 age- and sex-matched controls (mean age ± SD: 20.75 ± 1.05 years). Participants placed their dominant foot on a passive ankle motion apparatus that plantarflexed the ankle at a constant velocity of 22°/s for a total of 75 trials in each proprioceptive condition. With vision occluded, participants had to press the trigger button held by the dominant hand when they sensed the passive motion of the ankle (voluntary response, VR), or purely receive the movement without a voluntary response (non-voluntary response, NVR). Behavioral performances [i.e., mean movement detection time (MDTmean), the standard deviation of the movement detection time (MDTSD)] and ERP indices (i.e., N1, P3 amplitude, and latency) related to ankle kinesthetic stimuli were obtained to determine the proprioceptive-motor function. ResultsThe results showed that young adults with pDCD exhibited longer MDTmean (p < 0.001) and MDTSD (p = 0.002) compared to their controls. Electrophysiological indices measured at frontal and central electrode sites, showed that young adults with pDCD exhibited significantly smaller N1 (p = 0.019) and P3 amplitudes (p = 0.032) during VR and NVR conditions. Notably, correlation analysis revealed a significant negative relationship between MDTmean and N1 (r = 0.62, p < 0.001) and P3 amplitudes (r = − 0.55, p = 0.005) in the VR condition in young adults with and without pDCD. ConclusionsThis study sheds light on the central brain mechanisms underlying proprioceptive-motor deficits in young adults with pDCD. The combined analysis of behavioral and ERP data suggests that longer MDTmean and larger MDTSD in young adults with pDCD are associated with weaker proprioceptive afferent inflow shown by decreased N1 amplitude to the frontal and parietal cortices. Such degraded proprioceptive signals are followed by reduced P3 amplitude, suggesting that young adults with pDCD allocate fewer neural resources to modulate motor processes with regard to proprioceptive stimuli. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the neurophysiological basis of proprioceptive-motor deficits in pDCD and may inform the development of targeted sensorimotor interventions.

Haploinsufficiency of Syngap1 in striatal indirect pathway neurons alters motor and goal-directed behaviors in mice.

SYNGAP1 is a high-confidence autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk gene and mutations in SYNGAP1 lead to a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) that presents with epilepsy, ASD, motor developmental delay, and intellectual disability. SYNGAP1 codes for Ras/Rap GTP-ase activating protein SynGAP (SynGAP). In mice, SynGAP is located in the postsynaptic density of glutamatergic synapses and regulates glutamate receptor trafficking in an activity-dependent manner. In addition to forebrain glutamatergic neurons, Syngap1 is highly expressed in the striatum, although the functions of SynGAP in the striatum have not been extensively studied. Here we show that Syngap1 is expressed in both direct and indirect pathway striatal projection neurons (dSPNs and iSPNs) in mice of both sexes. In a mouse model of Syngap1 haploinsufficiency, dendritic spine density, morphology, and intrinsic excitability are altered primarily in iSPNs, but not dSPNs. At the behavioral level, SynGAP reduction alters striatal-dependent motor learning and goal-directed behavior. Several behavioral phenotypes are reproduced by iSPN-specific Syngap1 reduction and, in turn, prevented by iSPN-specific Syngap1 rescue. These results establish the importance of SynGAP to striatal neuron function and pinpoint the indirect pathway as a key circuit in the neurobiology of SYNGAP1-related NDD.Significance statement SYNGAP1 mutations cause a neurodevelopmental disorder presenting with intellectual disability, motor problems, epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, and a constellation of other behavioral and psychiatric conditions. SynGAP protein is highly expressed in the striatum but its functions in this brain region have not yet been explored. This study shows that loss of one copy of the Syngap1 gene from striatal indirect, but not direct, pathway neurons alters synaptic properties, cellular excitability, motor behaviors, and goal-directed responding in mice. This work provides a new perspective on the functions of SynGAP and suggests that altered activity in striatal circuits may be an important driver of the motor and learning alterations in people with SYNGAP1 disorder.

Exergames and Immersive Virtual Reality as a Novel Therapy Approach in Multiple Sclerosis: Randomised Feasibility Study

Background: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, inflammatory, neurodegenerative autoimmune disease caused by myelin loss in the central nervous system, which leads to motor and non-motor problems. The main objective of this study was to explore whether an immersive virtual reality (IVR) exercise programme would be feasible as a form of physical therapy for people with MS (pwMS). Methods: 18 participants (13 women; 45.06 years) were assigned to an experimental group (EG, n = 8) and a control group (CG, n = 10). The EG took part in a twice-weekly IVR exergame physical therapy programme—ExeRVIEM programme. A randomised, single-blind clinical trial was conducted and was registered in clinicaltrials (NCT05870254). Results: The intervention was feasible and safe. The participants completed the programme with no adverse effects (no symptoms on the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire), high usability (System Usability Scale 90.31%), and outstandingly positive post-game experiences (Game Experience Questionnaire 3.10/4). In addition, the GE significantly improved several of their functional capacities: increased lower limb strength (Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test p = 0.042), improved functional mobility, and reduced fall risk (Timed Up and Go Test-simple p = 0.009; Timed Up and Go Test-cognitive p = 0.003). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups. Conclusions: The findings support that the use of exergames and IVR as physical therapy in pwMS is feasible and safe. Furthermore, there is the suggestion of possible benefits to participants’ functional abilities, all of which position IVR as a promising tool for the rehabilitation of this neurodegenerative pathology affecting young adults.

Video analysis of music therapy interaction for children experiencing neurodevelopment delay

Children experiencing neurodevelopmental delay have motor, linguistic, and cognitive problems that affect their skills in various domains, especially interpersonal ones. Since music therapy is based on musical exchange, these three case studies explore how child–music therapists’ interactions change within and between sessions. Moreover, we evaluated whether the children’s and parents’ musical interaction changed in everyday life. Three children experiencing neurodevelopmental delay participated in 70 psychodynamic music therapy sessions, relying primarily on musical improvisation techniques. The initial (i.e. pre-test) and final sessions (i.e. post-test) were video recorded and codified with the Kategoriensystem Musik Therapie (KAMUTHE) in the 10th and 30th minutes. Videos were analyzed using the Behavioral Observation Research Interactive Software (BORIS). In addition, parents completed the Music in Everyday Life (MEL) Scale to evaluate how they experienced musical activities with their children. Reliable Change Indexes (RCIs) were calculated to assess significant changes in everyday musical activities. Based on video analysis, three children were more active at the 30th minute and the post-test, while Music Therapists stimulated them less. In addition, therapists adapted the activities and stimuli based on the children’s responses. Based on RCIs, parents reported an increased musical engagement with two children. Music therapy might help children experiencing neurodevelopmental delays modify their interaction style and improve motor and interpersonal skills.

Positive impacts on child development of a home visiting program in Santiago del Estero, Argentina (2022–2023)

The present paper evaluates the impact of a home visiting program aimed at training mothers in aspects of stimulation of their 0–3-year-old children in contexts of social vulnerability in the province of Santiago del Estero, Argentina. This program was carried out by the Asociación Civil Haciendo Camino (ACHC) with mothers participating in the program who were trained and supervised by health professionals within the framework of a comprehensive intervention. The evaluation was conducted through a difference-in-differences (DiD) method between a treatment group and a control group and two measurements over time with a six-month lapse of intervention. The measurements were made with the tool Ages & Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3), which assesses five areas of child development. In addition, sociodemographic, socioeconomic and parenting aspects were surveyed to estimate heterogeneous effects. The results of the present study indicate that the program achieved positive and significant effects in three areas of child development (communication, fine motor skills and problem solving), and positive but not significant effects in two other areas (gross motor skills and personal-social development). Among the positive heterogeneous effects, the increase in the child’s age and the mother’s age in different dimensions of development under the effects of the reference program stand out. These results add evidence on the relevance of early childhood stimulation programs in contexts of social vulnerability.

Permanent magnet synchronous motor demagnetization fault diagnosis based on PCA-ISSA-PNN

Aiming at the demagnetization fault problem of the permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM), a demagnetization fault diagnosis method based on the combination of the principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm, the improved sparrow search algorithm (ISSA), and the probabilistic neural network (PNN) algorithm is proposed. First, the principal components of phase currents are extracted using PCA. Second, ISSA is used to optimize the smoothing coefficients of the PNN algorithm, and the optimized PNN algorithm is combined with PCA to obtain the PCA-ISSA-PNN fault diagnosis model. Finally, the established fault diagnosis model was tested using the current data collected from the experiments and compared with the fault diagnosis indexes and optimization performance of the conventional PNN, PCA-PNN, PCA-GA (genetic algorithm)-PNN, PCA-DA (dragonfly algorithm)-PNN, PCA-GTO (artificial gorilla troop optimizer)-PNN, PCA-AHA-PNN, and PCA-SSA-PNN. The test results show that the fault diagnosis accuracy of PCA-ISSA-PNN reaches 95.83%, and the fault diagnosis indexes are significantly higher than those of PNN, PCA-PNN, PCA-GA-PNN, and PCA-DA-PNN; its optimization performance is also significantly better than that of PCA-GTO-PNN, PCA-AHA-PNN, and PCA-SSA-PNN, which verifies the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.

Relationship between sensory processing skills and motor skills in 12-month-old infants.

Identifying sensory processing problems of 12-month-old preterm and term children and defining their relationship with motor skills are essential for appropriate interventions and optimal sensory-motor development. This study aimed to determine sensory processing difficulties in 12-month-old babies and examine their relationship with motor skills. This cross-sectional study included 61 infants (28 preterm and 33 full-term, ages 12 months). The infants' sensory processing skills were evaluated using the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants (TSFI), and their gross and fine motor skills were assessed with the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2). Sensory processing difficulties were more common in preterm babies. Multiple linear regression models indicated a significant positive association between PDMS-2 gross/fine motor scores and TFSI total scores, reactivity to tactile deep pressure, and ocular-motor control in the total sample. Furthermore, there was a relationship between gross motor and adaptive motor function, and fine motor scores were found to be associated with visual-tactile integration sensory scores. Preterm babies are more likely than their full-term peers to have sensory processing problems around the age of one, which can affect their motor skills. The results support the relationship between children's sensory and motor processing skills. Practitioners such as occupational and physical therapists should be alert to this relationship in infants with sensory processing and motor problems. Taking this relationship into consideration when planning intervention programs can be a guide for an effective intervention.

A study on the Application of Virtual Reality Technology in Children's Rehabilitation Therapy

This article discusses the value of virtual reality (VR) technology in paediatric rehabilitation therapy, which can create immersive, interactive and imaginative virtual environments and provide children with safe and interesting therapeutic modalities to effectively improve their cognitive, motor, speech and emotional problems. The article analyses the application of VR technology in different scenarios, such as attention training, motor training, verbal expression training and emotion recognition training, and points out that the advantages of VR technology are to increase the interest of treatment, enhance the patient's participation, and achieve personalised treatment. However, VR technology also has challenges such as technical limitations, evaluation difficulties and high equipment costs. With the continuous development and improvement of the technology, VR technology is expected to overcome these challenges and play a greater role in the field of children's rehabilitation therapy, bringing hope for the rehabilitation of more children.

Child Motor Development before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are There Social Inequalities?

COVID-19 pandemic has influenced all children's motor development. We examine whether this differs by social circumstances. We hypothesise that socially disadvantaged children experienced more pronounced motor problems compared with better-off children. Our trend study includes three representative waves of preschoolers (school years 2018/19, 2019/20, 2023/24) from a German school enrolment medical screening. Based on logistic regressions, we computed predicted prevalences of motor problems separately for children in different social circumstances (neighbourhood, migration background, family status). Motor development of preschoolers slightly worsened by 2023 compared to pre-pandemic level (6.3 percent 2018 to 7.4 percent 2023). Results by neighbourhood highlight that preschoolers from well-off districts experienced a deterioration of motor development (4.9 percent 2018-6.4 percent 2023). The prevalence of motor problems is, however, below that of children from deprived neighbourhoods with consistently high prevalence (9.2-10 percent). Results by migration background show a worsening trend for children without migration background and the gap between the groups disappears in 2023. Results by family status do not indicate significant differences. Contrary to our hypothesis, socially disadvantaged children experienced smaller change in motor problems. However, our results highlight the potential of structured physical activities in daycare centres and sports facilities to enhance the motor development of these children.

The psychological side of menopause: evidence from the comorbidity network of menopausal, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.

Numerous studies have uncovered a correlation between menopausal, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. How these symptoms interrelate and influence each other, however, remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the associations between menopausal, anxiety, and depressive symptoms using network analysis. The participants comprised 423 women ( Mage = 49.21 ± 4.01 y; range, 40-60 y) recruited from a menopause clinic at a tertiary hospital in Beijing, China. Demographic characteristics and menopausal, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were obtained through self-report questionnaires. Two networks were established: a partial correlation network and a Bayesian network. The menopausal symptom of nervousness exhibited a robust association with anxiety symptoms in both networks. Within the partial correlation network, the depressive symptom of tiredness emerged as a pivotal symptom, facilitating the co-occurrence of menopausal and depressive symptoms. Bayesian network analysis exhibited that the depressive symptom of a loss of interest was related to certain menopausal symptoms through depressive symptoms of tiredness and motor problems, both serving as critical links between menopausal symptoms and depression. Notably, four menopausal symptoms-arthralgia/myalgia, formication, sexual complaints, and urinary tract infection-appeared independent of other menopausal, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Both psychological (eg, fatigue) and somatic (eg, hot flashes, headaches, and dizziness) menopausal symptoms demonstrate strong associations with depression. In providing optimal support for women's health during menopause, psychological interventions aimed at depression, particularly among those experiencing a loss of interest or pleasure in activities, should complement conventional therapies.

Enhancing Fine Motor Skills and Fostering Creativity in Children through Plasticine-Based Activities

Some children have difficulty developing their creativity and motor skills. Children with fine motor problems may find it difficult to express their creativity. To overcome these problems, the play method using plasticine is one of the alternative solutions. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effect of plasticine play activities on improving fine motor skills and creativity in kindergarten-aged children. This study used a quantitative approach with the type of quasi experiment with a one group pretest posttest research design. This study only involved the experimental group. Data collection in this study used questionnaires in the form of fine motor skills instruments and creative thinking skills in children. This study involved children aged 5-6 years in group B as many as 60 students who were then selected using purposive sampling technique. In this study, the data were analyzed using paired samples t-test. The results showed that there was a significant increase in fine motor skills and creative thinking ability in children after being given treatment using the Plasticine-Based Activities method. This is evidenced by the significance value of 0.001 0.05. However, in this study, it is recommended that kindergarten educators and parents integrate plasticine play activities in the curriculum and daily activities of children. Additional support in the form of training for educators is also needed to maximize the benefits of using plasticine in developing children's skills.

Adaptive event-triggered finite-time prescribed performance control of PMSM stochastic system considering time-varying delays

This paper investigates the finite-time prescribed performance tracking control problem of permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) considering stochastic disturbances and time-varying delays under event-triggered mechanism. A quintuple polynomial finite-time prescribed performance function (FPPF) is introduced to ensure the transient and steady-state performance of the system output, and a nonlinear transformation function is employed to convert the constrained error into an unconstrained one. The Lyapunov-Krasovskii function is constructed to address time delays. And the system uncertainties are approximated by the radial basis function neural networks (RBFNN). For the “explosion of complexity” caused by backstepping method, a tracking differentiator (TD) is employed. By combining finite time control, command filtering backstepping control, and event-triggered mechanism, the effect of the filter errors is decreased, and the update frequency of the control signals are reduced. It is shown that the proposed controller can guarantee finite time convergence bounded of all signals in the closed-loop system, and the tracking error can converge in finite time. Finally, simulation results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.

Safe(r) Landing by Older People: A Matter of Complexity.

Maintaining balance is a complex motor problem that requires coordinated contributions from multiple biological systems. Aging inevitably lessens the fidelity of biological systems, which can result in an increased risk of falling and associated injuries. It is advantageous to land safely, but falls manifest in diverse ways, so different motor solutions are required to land safely. However, without considerable practice, it is difficult to recall the appropriate motor solution for a fall and then apply it effectively in the brief duration before hitting the ground. A complex systems perspective provides a lens through which to view the problem of safe(r)landing. It may be possible to use motor analogies to promote degeneracy within the perceptual motor system so that, regardless of the direction in which an older person falls, their body self-organizes to land with less likelihood of injury.

Oral Motor Problems and Oral Feeding Interventions in Children With ASD: A Scoping Review

Oral Motor Problems and Oral Feeding Interventions in Children With ASD: A Scoping Review

STUDYING ATTITUDES TO DEPRESSION AMONG STUDENTS

Depression is a serious mental illness, when it occurs, the ability to work is sharply reduced and motor problems arise lethargy, impaired thinking, decreased mood. Depression is accompanied by low self-esteem, loss of taste to life, interest in usual activities. Being a mental disorder, depression manifests itself as pathological affect. It is perceived by people and patients as a manifestation of laziness, bad character, selfishness and pessimism. It should be noted that a depressive state is not just a bad mood, but a psychosomatic disease in which specialist intervention required. Overthinking or intrusive thoughts depression or anxiety or any mental problem isn't just a disorder, it can happen to us because of various reasons.

Behaviour Hallmarks in Alzheimer's Disease 5xFAD Mouse Model.

The 5xFAD transgenic mouse model widely used in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research recapitulates many AD-related phenotypes with a relatively early onset and aggressive age-dependent progression. Besides developing amyloid peptide deposits alongside neuroinflammation by the age of 2 months, as well as exhibiting neuronal decline by the age of 4 months that intensifies by the age of 9 months, these mice manifest a broad spectrum of behavioural impairments. In this review, we present the extensive repertoire of behavioural dysfunctions in 5xFAD mice, organised into four categories: motor skills, sensory function, learning and memory abilities, and neuropsychiatric-like symptoms. The motor problems, associated with agility and reflex movements, as well as balance and coordination, and skeletal muscle function, typically arise by the time mice reach 9 months of age. The sensory function (such as taste, smell, hearing, and vision) starts to deteriorate when amyloid peptide buildups and neuroinflammation spread into related anatomical structures. The cognitive functions, encompassing learning and memory abilities, such as visual recognition, associative, spatial working, reference learning, and memory show signs of decline from 4 to 6 months of age. Concerning neuropsychiatric-like symptoms, comprising apathy, anxiety and depression, and the willingness for exploratory behaviour, it is believed that motivational changes emerge by approximately 6 months of age. Unfortunately, numerous studies from different laboratories are often contradictory on the conclusions drawn and the identification of onset age, making preclinical studies in rodent models not easily translatable to humans. This variability is likely due to a range of factors associated with animals themselves, housing and husbandry conditions, and experimental settings. In the forthcoming studies, greater clarity in experimental details when conducting behavioural testing in 5xFAD transgenic mice could minimise the inconsistencies and could ensure the reliability and the reproducibility of the results.

Energy recovery of four-wheel hub motor driven vehicle in steering-braking condition

The factors that affect the efficiency of braking energy recovery is a crucial and worthy research problem for the four-wheel hub motor driven (FWHMD) electric vehicle (EV). This paper presents an energy classification statistical method by integrating the direct current (DC) of the power battery and considering the efficiency of the permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). According to the characteristics of DC, the energy recovered and consumed by the motor during regenerative braking is divided into total recovered energy, net recovered energy and dissipated energy. Then, the influence of steering resistance on braking energy recovery of the steering braking is analyzed by using the proposed energy statistical method and combining Carsim and Matlab/Simulink co-simulation. Firstly, a closed-loop coupling model combined with the PMSM and vehicle dynamics is established. Secondly, the braking energy recovery only the PMSM engaged is simulated for different brake strengths under steering-braking conditions, also the stability of the vehicle is analyzed and the recovery energy is counted. Lastly, the energy recovered is compared with the recovery energy by longitudinal braking under the same braking strength. The results show that the energy recovery of the steering regenerative braking conditions with braking strengths of 0.1 and 0.2 is 4.10% and 1.90% less than that of the longitudinal braking conditions with the same braking strengths, respectively, and the steering resistance is constant. The reduction of the recovery energy is only related to the braking time. Meanwhile, the research in this paper provides a reference significance for the research of braking energy recovery strategies for FWHMD vehicles.

Risk Factors and Interventions for Suicide in Huntington's Disease-A Systematic Review.

Background/Objectives: Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder causing progressive neurodegeneration which, aside from symptomatic therapies for controlling psychological and motor problems, currently has no effective treatment. People who receive this diagnosis often feel disoriented and lost without guidance. Furthermore, HD patients are estimated to have a two to seven times greater risk of suicide death compared to the general population. The current review investigates the complex relationship between HD and suicide, seeking to identify key risk factors influencing suicidal ideation and behaviour in affected individuals. Methods: We conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines. Studies were searched for on the PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases, and 17 articles met the inclusion criteria. Results: The findings reveal that emotional strain, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and the absence of a cure contribute to heightened suicidal tendencies in HD patients. Critical periods for suicide risk coincide with early symptomatic stages of disease or the successive phase, with the loss of independence impacting on daily functioning. Risk factors associated with HD include a depressive mood, cognitive impairments, and a history of suicide attempts. Conclusions: From a prevention perspective, a comprehensive multidisciplinary and multidimensional approach could enhance the overall well-being of people with HD. In particular, screening for suicidal thoughts in people with HD could mitigate suicide risk.