Logo image
Self-Paced Timing Detects and Tracks Change in Prodromal Huntington Disease
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Self-Paced Timing Detects and Tracks Change in Prodromal Huntington Disease

Kelly C Rowe, Jane S Paulsen, Douglas R Langbehn, Kevin Duff, Leigh J Beglinger, Chiachi Wang, Justin J. F O'Rourke, Julie C Stout, David J Moser and PREDICT-HD Investigators of the Huntington Study Group
Neuropsychology, Vol.24(4), pp.435-442
07/2010
DOI: 10.1037/a0018905
PMCID: PMC2900808
PMID: 20604618

View Online

Abstract

Objective: This study compares self-paced timing performance (cross-sectionally and longitudinally) between participants with prodromal Huntington's disease ( pr -HD) and a comparison group of gene non-expanded participants from affected families (NC). Method: Participants (747 pr -HD: 188 NC) listened to tones presented at 550-ms intervals, matched that pace by tapping response keys and continued the rhythm (self-paced) after the tone had stopped. Standardized cross-sectional and longitudinal linear models examined the relationships between self-paced timing precision and estimated proximity to diagnosis, and other demographic factors. Results: Pr -HD participants showed significantly less timing precision than NC. Comparison of pr -HD and NC participants showed a significant performance difference on two task administration conditions (dominant hand: p < .0001; alternating thumbs: p < .0001). Additionally, estimated proximity to diagnosis was related to timing precision in both conditions, (dominant hand: t = −11.14, df = 920, p < .0001; alternating thumbs: t = −11.32, df = 918, p < .0001). Longitudinal modeling showed that pr -HD participants worsen more quickly at the task than the NC group, and rate of decline increases with estimated proximity to diagnosis in both conditions (dominant hand: t = −2.85, df = 417, p = .0045; alternating thumbs: t = −3.56, df = 445, p = .0004). Effect sizes based on adjusted mean annual change ranged from −0.34 to 0.25 in the longitudinal model. Conclusions: The self-paced timing paradigm has potential for use as a screening tool and outcome measure in pr -HD clinical trials to gauge therapeutically mediated improvement or maintenance of function.
tapping clinical trials basal ganglia cognition isochronous serial interval production

Details

Metrics

Logo image