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Comorbidities of Obsessive and Compulsive Symptoms in Huntington's Disease
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Comorbidities of Obsessive and Compulsive Symptoms in Huntington's Disease

Karen E. Anderson, Carissa R. Gehl, Karen S. Marder, Leigh J. Beglinger, Jane S. Paulsen and Huntington's Study Group
The journal of nervous and mental disease, Vol.198(5), pp.334-338
05/01/2010
DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0b013e3181da852a
PMCID: PMC3164360
PMID: 20458194

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Abstract

Although current reports document a high rate of obsessive and compulsive symptoms (O/Cs) in Huntington's disease (HD), there have been no studies published that have made an attempt to identify comorbidities of O/Cs in HD. We examined O/Cs in 1642 individuals with a diagnosis of HD. Of those endorsing significant O/Cs (27.2%), nearly one-quarter reported obtaining treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder. Individuals with HD and O/Cs were older, had poorer functioning, and a longer duration of illness than those without O/Cs. Individuals with HD and O/Cs endorsed significantly higher psychiatric comorbidities of depression, suicidal ideation, aggression, delusions, and hallucinations. Participants with the most severe O/Cs and worse performance on the Stroop task, a measure of executive function. Clinicians should be aware that patients with HD and O/Cs might have a somewhat different clinical picture from those without, and may require a specialized treatment plan.
Psychiatry Clinical Neurology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Neurosciences & Neurology Science & Technology

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