An International Survey-based Algorithm for the Pharmacologic Treatment of Chorea in Huntington’s Disease
2011

Treatment Options for Chorea in Huntington's Disease

Sample size: 52 publication Evidence: low

Author Information

Author(s): Jean-Marc Burgunder, Mark Guttman, Susan Goodman, Nathan van Kammen, Daniel P. Goodman, LaVonne Goodman

Primary Institution: University of Bern, Switzerland; University of Toronto, Canada; David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA

Hypothesis

What are the best pharmacologic treatments for chorea in Huntington's disease based on expert opinions?

Conclusion

Experts agree on treatment indications for chorea but disagree on the first choice of drug, with variations between regions.

Supporting Evidence

  • Experts indicated that stigma, physical injury, and sleep disturbances are key reasons for considering drug treatment.
  • APDs were favored by European experts, while North American and Australian experts showed a preference for TBZ.
  • Both APDs and TBZ were considered acceptable as monotherapy in various situations.

Takeaway

Doctors are trying to figure out the best medicines to help people with Huntington's disease who have uncontrollable movements, but they don't all agree on which medicine is the best.

Methodology

An international survey was conducted among experts in Huntington's disease to gather opinions on treatment options for chorea.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to funding from Lundbeck Inc. and the non-systematic selection of experts.

Limitations

The survey results are based on expert opinions and may not reflect evidence-based practices; recall bias and selection bias may have influenced responses.

Participant Demographics

Participants included 52 expert physicians, predominantly from the USA and Europe, with a majority specializing in neurology.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/currents.RRN1260

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