Managing Irritability in Huntington's Disease

Huntington's disease frequently presents with neuropsychiatric symptoms that can be as disabling as the motor features. One of the most common is irritability — a fluctuating state marked by impatience and a tendency to become angry in response to minimal provocation.

Clinical Scenario

Irritability is a very common symptom in HD. This disorder is of fluctuating nature, characterised by impatience and a tendency to become angry in response to minimal provocation — often causing significant distress for patients and caregivers alike.

Treatment Approach

When first-line pharmacological options do not achieve adequate control of irritability, a further class of agent may be added as part of a structured escalation approach. The full regimen — including sequencing and the specific agents considered at each step — is detailed in the structured protocol.

Instant Access to Structured Evidence-Based Regimens

References

DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00710

Irritability is a very common symptom in HD. This disorder is of fluctuating nature, characterized by impatience and a tendency to become angry in response to minimal provocation.

If irritability does not respond to antidepressant therapies and/or neuroleptics, a mood stabilizer (Grade C) can be added.

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