Early symptoms memory lapses. depression – including low mood, a lack of interest in things, and feelings of hopelessness. stumbling and clumsiness. mood swings, such as irritability or aggressive behaviour.
Huntington's disease impairs the functioning of the brain, which can result in apathy, trouble organizing, impulsivity, irritability and anger, unawareness, disinhibition, preservation, and other psychiatric symptoms. These emotional and behavioral symptoms can further complicate the caregiver's role.
Patients may be irritable or depressed. They may lack inhibition, and do or say things that one would normally find embarrassing. People with Huntington's may also be less able to control their emotions, possibly leading to outbursts of screaming, swearing, slamming doors, hitting walls, or the like.
Overview of HD's Behavioral and Psychiatric Symptoms
People with HD may suffer from depression and other conditions found in the general population, such as mania, obsessive compulsive disorder, or various forms of psychosis.
Huntington's disease brain changes lead to alterations in mood, especially depression, anxiety, and uncharacteristic anger and irritability. Another common symptom is obsessive-compulsive behavior, leading a person to repeat the same question or activity over and over.
The early symptoms of Huntington disease are often general: Irritability. Depression. Mood swings.
The time when symptoms actually show up varies between people, however. There is evidence that about 40% of this variation is due to other genetic factors, and about 60% is due to unknown influences in a person's life or surroundings - which scientists refer to as environmental factors.
The most characteristic motor symptom is chorea but bradykinesia, dystonia, rigidity can also occur. Cognitive symptoms include poor decision making, planning, memory and emotional processing. Depression, apathy irritability and paranoid psychosis are the common neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Weight loss can make symptoms worse and weaken the patient's immune system, making them more vulnerable to infections and other complications. Huntington's disease itself is not usually fatal, but it can lead to choking, pneumonia, or other infections that can lead to death.
(For more information on Complications of HD, click here.) It is important to know that stress can lead to complications and the worsening of symptoms in people with HD.
Some people with Huntington's Disease may act in a disinhibited way that is embarrassing to others. Disinhibited behaviour may take a variety of forms. People with HD may act impulsively or rashly without thought, such as making a sudden purchase of a car that they cannot afford.
During late-stage Huntington's disease, or stage V, individuals experience speech difficulty, weight loss, and loss of bowel and bladder control. They will have dementia and severe limitations in voluntary movement and will be fully dependent on assistance.
HD patients present a broad range of psychological disturbances such as cognitive rigidity, mood disturbances, lack of empathy and breakdowns of social relationships that might also manifest even before the onset of motor dysfunction (Marvel and Paradiso, 2004).
Antipsychotic drugs such as quetiapine (Seroquel) and olanzapine (Zyprexa) may suppress violent outbursts, agitation, and other symptoms of mood disorders or psychosis.
Huntington's Disease (HD) is not fatal in itself. People with HD have a shorter life expectancy and die of other life-threatening complications related to this disease. Pneumonia and heart disease are the two leading causes of death for people with HD.
People can start to show the symptoms of Huntington's disease at almost any age. Most will develop problems between the ages of 30 and 50. The condition gradually gets worse for around 10-25 years, until the person dies.
Choose soft, easy-to-chew and easy-to-swallow foods (aim for the consistency of porridge). Use plenty of sauces and gravies to help make main meals easier to swallow. Add plenty of custards, ice-cream and cream to desserts. Avoid hard foods such as nuts and lollies.
Physical changes may include slurred speech and problems with swallowing, eating, speaking, and especially walking. People with HD may lose weight because of problems with feeding, swallowing, choking, and chest infections.
People with Huntington's disease (HD) often fail to recognise changes in movement, mood, thinking and behaviour associated with the disease.
Surprisingly, many people with Huntington's disease aren't aware that the involuntary movements are happening, or don't notice them as much as other people do. That's because Huntington's disease can affect people's awareness of their own bodies.
Huntington's disease (HD) commonly presents with impaired social functioning. Specifically, many patients exhibit social withdrawal, or decreased engagement in social activities.
In Australia it is estimated that over 1,800 people have Huntington's Disease and approximately 9,000 are at risk (Huntington's NSW ACT website, 2019) with a reported prevalence rate in Australia which ranges from 4.5 per 100,000 to 6.5 per 100,000 (Pringsheim et al., 2012).