Treatment of Irritability in Huntington's Disease
Author Information
Author(s): Mark Groves, Erik van Duijn, Karen Anderson, David Craufurd, Mary C. Edmondson, Nathan Goodman, Daniel P. van Kammen, LaVonne Goodman
Hypothesis
What are the preferred pharmacologic treatments for irritability in Huntington's disease as determined by expert opinion?
Conclusion
Experts agree that SSRIs and antipsychotic drugs are the most favored treatments for irritability in Huntington's disease.
Supporting Evidence
- SSRIs were most frequently chosen as the first drug for treating mild to moderate irritability.
- Antipsychotic drugs were preferred for severe irritability or aggressive behaviors.
- Experts reported that perceived efficacy of antipsychotics was somewhat higher than that of SSRIs.
- Benzodiazepines were mostly used as adjunctive therapy rather than monotherapy.
- Geographic differences were noted in the choice of first-line treatments.
Takeaway
Doctors surveyed have different ideas about how to treat irritability in people with Huntington's disease, but many think certain medications work best.
Methodology
An international survey was conducted among 66 experts in Huntington's disease, with 55 responding, to gather their treatment preferences for irritability.
Potential Biases
Selection of experts was not systematic, which may introduce bias in the results.
Limitations
The survey results are based on expert opinion rather than systematic evidence, and recall bias may have affected responses.
Participant Demographics
Respondents included 39 neurologists and 10 psychiatrists from various countries, with most treating over 100 HD patients annually.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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