Huntington's disease in Venezuela: neurologic features and functional decline

Neurology. 1986 Feb;36(2):244-9. doi: 10.1212/wnl.36.2.244.

Abstract

We studied 65 Huntington's disease patients and 225 at-risk individuals over the past 4 years. The rate of decline of these untreated patients from Venezuela was similar to that seen in US patients who had received neuroleptic drugs. Chorea, oculomotor dysfunction, and dysdiadochokinesis were early symptoms; parkinsonian features and dystonia came later. Juvenile patients declined nearly twice as fast as adult-onset patients. No distinctive neurologic phenotypes were seen in children of two affected parents.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Chorea / etiology
  • Dystonia / etiology
  • Female
  • Heterozygote
  • Homozygote
  • Humans
  • Huntington Disease / complications
  • Huntington Disease / genetics*
  • Male
  • Muscle Rigidity / etiology
  • Pedigree
  • Prospective Studies
  • Saccades
  • Time Factors
  • Tremor / etiology
  • Venezuela