Treatment of Huntington's Disease with Anxiety

Anxiety — characterised by an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or worry about something happening or that might happen — is a recognised and common symptom in patients with Huntington's disease, and requires specific clinical consideration alongside the primary diagnosis.

Clinical scenario

This protocol addresses the management of anxiety in the context of Huntington's disease. The anxiety here is defined as the uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or worry about something that is happening or might happen in the future, which is common in HD.

Treatment approach (partial summary)
First-line pharmacological management involves a specific class of antidepressants, particularly relevant when anxiety co-occurs with depression. A second agent class may be considered on an as-needed basis, though with important safety caveats regarding fall risk in this patient population…

Full regimen, sequencing, and prescribing details in the protocol →

Instant Access to Structured Evidence-Based Regimens

References

DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00710

Anxiety as defined by the uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or worry about something that is happening or might happen in the future, is common in HD.
SSRI or SNRI are first line treatments of anxiety, especially when associated with depression.
On-demand prescription of an anxiolytic might be beneficial, but caution is required because of the associated risk of worsening or causing falls.

View source ↗