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Shiino S, van Wouwe NC, Wylie SA, Claassen DO, McDonell KE. Huntington disease exacerbates action impulses. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1186465. [PMID: 37397312 PMCID: PMC10312388 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1186465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Impulsivity is a common clinical feature of Huntington disease (HD), but the underlying cognitive dynamics of impulse control in this population have not been well-studied. Objective To investigate the temporal dynamics of action impulse control in HD patients using an inhibitory action control task. Methods Sixteen motor manifest HD patients and seventeen age-matched healthy controls (HC) completed the action control task. We applied the activation-suppression theoretical model and distributional analytic techniques to differentiate the strength of fast impulses from their top-down suppression. Results Overall, HD patients produced slower and less accurate reactions than HCs. HD patients also exhibited an exacerbated interference effect, as evidenced by a greater slowing of RT on non-corresponding compared to corresponding trials. HD patients made more fast, impulsive errors than HC, evidenced by significantly lower accuracy on their fastest reaction time trials. The slope reduction of interference effects as reactions slowed was similar between HD and controls, indicating preserved impulse suppression. Conclusion Our results indicate that patients with HD show a greater susceptibility to act rapidly on incorrect motor impulses but preserved proficiency of top-down suppression. Further research is needed to determine how these findings relate to clinical behavioral symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhei Shiino
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | | | - Scott A. Wylie
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Daniel O. Claassen
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Katherine E. McDonell
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
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2
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McLauchlan DJ, Linden DEJ, Rosser AE. Excessive response to provocation rather than disinhibition mediates irritable behaviour in Huntington's disease. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:993357. [PMID: 36643017 PMCID: PMC9836783 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.993357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Irritable and impulsive behaviour are common in Huntington's disease (HD: an autosomal dominant disorder causing degeneration in cortico-striatal networks). However, the cognitive mechanisms underlying these symptoms remain unclear, and previous research has not determined if common mechanisms underpin both symptoms. Here we used established and novel tasks to probe different aspects of irritable and impulsive behaviour to determine the neural mechanisms involved. Methods We recruited a cohort of 53 gene positive HD participants and 26 controls from non-affected family members and local volunteers. We used established questionnaire measures of irritability in HD (Snaith Irritability Scale, Problem Behaviours Assessment) and impulsivity [Urgency, Premeditation Perseverance, Sensation-seeking, Positive urgency scale (UPPSP), Barratt Impulsivity Scale], in addition to cognitive tasks of provocation, motor inhibition, delay discounting and decision making under uncertainty. We used generalised linear models to determine differences between cases and controls, and associations with irritability in the HD group. Results We found differences between cases and controls on the negative urgency subscale of the UPPSP, which was associated with irritability in HD. The frustrative non-reward provocation task also showed differences between cases and controls, in addition to predicting irritability in HD. The stop signal reaction time task showed case-control differences but was not associated with irritability in HD. None of the other measures showed group differences or predicted irritability in HD after correcting for confounding variables. Discussion Irritability in HD is mediated by excessive response to provocation, rather than a failure of motor inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duncan James McLauchlan
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom,Department of Neurology, Morriston Hospital, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Swansea, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Duncan James McLauchlan,
| | - David E. J. Linden
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom,Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Center, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom,Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Anne E. Rosser
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom,Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom,Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics (B.R.A.I.N.) Biomedical Research Unit, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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3
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Morris L, O'Callaghan C, Le Heron C. Disordered Decision Making: A Cognitive Framework for Apathy and Impulsivity in Huntington's Disease. Mov Disord 2022; 37:1149-1163. [PMID: 35491758 PMCID: PMC9322688 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
A caregiver's all‐too‐familiar narrative ‐ “He doesn't think through what he does, but mostly he does nothing.” Apathy and impulsivity, debilitating and poorly understood, commonly co‐occur in Huntington's disease (HD). HD is a neurodegenerative disease with manifestations bridging clinical neurology and psychiatry. In addition to movement and cognitive symptoms, neurobehavioral disturbances, particularly apathy and impulsivity, are prevalent features of HD, occurring early in the disease course, often worsening with disease progression, and substantially reducing quality of life. Treatments remain limited, in part because of limited mechanistic understanding of these behavioral disturbances. However, emerging work within the field of decision‐making neuroscience and beyond points to common neurobiological mechanisms underpinning these seemingly disparate problems. These insights bridge the gap between underlying disease pathology and clinical phenotype, offering new treatment strategies, novel behavioral and physiological biomarkers of HD, and deeper understanding of human behavior. In this review, we apply the neurobiological framework of cost‐benefit decision making to the problems of apathy and impulsivity in HD. Through this decision‐making lens, we develop a mechanistic model that elucidates the occurrence of these behavioral disturbances and points to potential treatment strategies and crucial research priorities. © 2022 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee‐Anne Morris
- Department of Medicine University of Otago Christchurch New Zealand
- New Zealand Brain Research Institute Christchurch New Zealand
| | - Claire O'Callaghan
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Campbell Le Heron
- Department of Medicine University of Otago Christchurch New Zealand
- New Zealand Brain Research Institute Christchurch New Zealand
- Department of Neurology Canterbury District Health Board Christchurch New Zealand
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4
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McGarry A, Auinger P, Kieburtz KD, Bredlau AL, Hersch SM, Rosas HD. Suicidality Risk Factors Across the CARE-HD, 2CARE, and CREST-E Clinical Trials in Huntington Disease. Neurol Clin Pract 2022; 12:131-138. [PMID: 35747889 PMCID: PMC9208406 DOI: 10.1212/cpj.0000000000001161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractBackground and Objectives:Suicidality is a common concern in the routine care of persons with HD as well as for the many participants in HD clinical trials. In a previous analysis, we identified baseline and time-dependent factors associated with suicidal ideation and attempts from 2CARE, a large, randomized, double-blind clinical trial.Methods:The present analysis extends our prior methodology to two other large interventional HD clinical trials, CARE-HD and CREST-E.Results:We observed relationships across studies between suicidality events and prior suicidal ideation at baseline, antidepressant/anxiolytic use, chorea, increasing age, and several domains in the UHDRS Behavioral Assessment (depressed mood, low self-esteem, aggression, active suicidality).Discussion:These data may form the basis for a subscale of demographic and UHDRS items with the potential for prospectively identifying suicidality risk in HD clinics and clinical trials. (Registry: 2CARE and CREST are registered at clinicaltrials.gov. 2CARE NCT00608881, registered February 6, 2008; first enrollment March 2008. CREST-E NCT00712426, registered July 10, 2008; first enrollment September 2009. CARE-HD not registered; first enrollment July 1997).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew McGarry
- Department of Neurology (AM), Cooper University Healthcare at Rowan University, Camden, NJ; Center for Health and Technology (PA), University of Rochester, NY; Department of Neurology (KDK), University of Rochester, NY; University of Rochester (A-LB), NY; and Department of Neurology (SMH, HDR), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Peggy Auinger
- Department of Neurology (AM), Cooper University Healthcare at Rowan University, Camden, NJ; Center for Health and Technology (PA), University of Rochester, NY; Department of Neurology (KDK), University of Rochester, NY; University of Rochester (A-LB), NY; and Department of Neurology (SMH, HDR), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Karl D Kieburtz
- Department of Neurology (AM), Cooper University Healthcare at Rowan University, Camden, NJ; Center for Health and Technology (PA), University of Rochester, NY; Department of Neurology (KDK), University of Rochester, NY; University of Rochester (A-LB), NY; and Department of Neurology (SMH, HDR), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Amy-Lee Bredlau
- Department of Neurology (AM), Cooper University Healthcare at Rowan University, Camden, NJ; Center for Health and Technology (PA), University of Rochester, NY; Department of Neurology (KDK), University of Rochester, NY; University of Rochester (A-LB), NY; and Department of Neurology (SMH, HDR), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Steven M Hersch
- Department of Neurology (AM), Cooper University Healthcare at Rowan University, Camden, NJ; Center for Health and Technology (PA), University of Rochester, NY; Department of Neurology (KDK), University of Rochester, NY; University of Rochester (A-LB), NY; and Department of Neurology (SMH, HDR), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - H Diana Rosas
- Department of Neurology (AM), Cooper University Healthcare at Rowan University, Camden, NJ; Center for Health and Technology (PA), University of Rochester, NY; Department of Neurology (KDK), University of Rochester, NY; University of Rochester (A-LB), NY; and Department of Neurology (SMH, HDR), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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5
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Problems with Social Cognition and Decision-Making in Huntington's Disease: Why Is it Important? Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11070838. [PMID: 34202701 PMCID: PMC8301991 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease starts slowly and progresses over a 15–20 year period. Motor changes begin subtly, often going unnoticed by patients although they are typically visible to those close to them. At this point, it is the early non-motor problems of HD that arguably cause the most functional impairment. Approximately 65% of gene carriers will experience a reduction in their occupational level, and just under half will feel unable to manage their finances independently before a clinical diagnosis is made. Understanding what drives this impairment in activities of daily living is the key to helping people with HD to live more independently for longer, especially in early disease. Early cognitive decline is likely to play a contributory factor although few studies have looked directly at this relationship. Recently, it has been shown that along with the well documented dysexecutive syndrome seen in HD, changes in social cognition and decision-making are more common than previously thought. Furthermore, some of the early neuropathological and neurochemical changes seen in HD disrupt networks known to be involved in social functioning. In this review, we explore how HD changes the way individuals interact in a social world. Specifically, we summarise the literature on both classical and social decision-making (value-based decision-making in a social context) along with studies of theory of mind, empathy, alexithymia, and emotion recognition in HD. The literature specific to HD is discussed and supported by evidence from similar neurodegenerative disorders and healthy individuals to propose future directions and potential therapeutic avenues to be explored.
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6
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Zarotti N, Fletcher I, Simpson J. New Perspectives on Emotional Processing in People with Symptomatic Huntington's Disease: Impaired Emotion Regulation and Recognition of Emotional Body Language†. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2020; 34:610-624. [PMID: 30395151 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acy085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Emotion regulation and emotional body language (EBL) recognition represent two fundamental components of emotional processing that have recently seen a considerable surge in research interest, in part due to the role they play in optimizing mental health. This appears to be particularly true for clinical conditions that can profoundly affect emotional functioning. Among these is Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder that is associated with several psychological difficulties and cognitive impairments, including well-established deficits in facial emotion recognition. However, although the theoretical case for impairments is strong, the current evidence in HD on other components such as emotion regulation and EBL recognition is sparse. METHOD In this study, it was hypothesized that emotion regulation and recognition of EBL are impaired in people with symptomatic HD, and that these impairments significantly and positively correlate with each other. A between-subjects design was adopted to compare 13 people with symptomatic HD with 12 non-affected controls matched for age and education. RESULTS The results showed that emotion regulation and EBL recognition were significantly impaired in individuals with HD. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was observed between facial and EBL recognition impairments, whereas EBL performance was negatively related to the disease stage. However, emotion regulation and recognition performances were not significantly correlated. CONCLUSIONS This investigation represents the first evidence of a deficit of emotion regulation and EBL recognition in individuals with HD. The clinical implications of these findings are explored, and indications for future research are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Zarotti
- Division of Health Research, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Ian Fletcher
- Division of Health Research, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Jane Simpson
- Division of Health Research, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
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7
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Schwartz AE, van Walsem MR, Brean A, Frich JC. Therapeutic Use of Music, Dance, and Rhythmic Auditory Cueing for Patients with Huntington's Disease: A Systematic Review. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 8:393-420. [PMID: 31450508 PMCID: PMC6839482 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-190370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background: Studies have assessed the therapeutic effect of music, dance, and rhythmic auditory cueing for patients with Huntington’s disease (HD). However, the synthesis of evidence in support of their positive impact on symptoms is lacking. Objective: We conducted a systematic literature review to evaluate the potential benefits of music, dance, and rhythm on the cognitive, psychiatric and motor function in patients with HD. Methods: Two- and three-keyword searches and a manual search identified medical literature published from 1999 through 2019. We considered literature that assessed outcomes of art-based rehabilitation programs or individual modalities for persons with early, middle, or advanced HD. Structured analysis was conducted using data entry tables with categories for patient health status, art methods, and outcomes. Results: Seven articles and six abstracts met eligibility criteria, of which nine evaluated art-based rehabilitation programs. Studies mainly assessed cognitive, psychiatric, and motor functions through music, dance, or rhythm modalities. Although results were conflicting, in summary improvements to motor function were dependent on disease severity and more responsive to art therapy programs than rhythm-motor synchronization. Benefits to global cognition that resulted from rhythmic training correlated with microstructural changes. Qualitative data verified a positive impact on language production, chorea, behavior, and quality of life. Conclusions: Our review has shown a potential benefit of music, dance, and rhythm for patients with HD, which is particularly important for a disease that has no cure. Art forms seemed to affect cognitive, psychiatric, motor, psychosocial, and neuroanatomical domains. However, evidence is preliminary, warranting further investigation to establish the foundation for this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E Schwartz
- Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marleen R van Walsem
- Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Neurohabilitation, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Are Brean
- Department of Music Education and Music Therapy, Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jan C Frich
- Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority, Norway
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8
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McLauchlan DJ, Lancaster T, Craufurd D, Linden DEJ, Rosser AE. Insensitivity to loss predicts apathy in huntington's disease. Mov Disord 2019; 34:1381-1391. [PMID: 31361357 DOI: 10.1002/mds.27787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Apathy is a deficit in goal-directed behavior that significantly affects quality of life and function. It is common in Huntington's disease and other disorders affecting corticostriatal pathways. Deficits in processing of reward, altered effort, and executive dysfunction are associated with apathy in other disorders, but the cognitive processes leading to apathy in Huntington's disease remain largely unknown. A previously reported deficit in learning from losses in Huntington's disease raises the possibility of a hitherto unrecognized mechanism leading to apathy. This study's objective was to delineate the cognitive processes associated with apathy in HD. METHODS We tested 51 Huntington's disease participants and 26 controls on a battery of novel and established measures to assess the contribution to apathy in Huntington's disease of executive function, reward value, reward-effort calculations, instrumental learning, and response to reward and loss. RESULTS Huntington's disase participants had deficits in instrumental learning with impaired response to loss, but no evidence to suggest altered reward-related behavior or effort. We also saw an executive dysfunction contribution to apathy in Huntington's disease. DISCUSSION We report the novel finding that apathy in Huntington's disease is associated with blunted responses to losses and impaired instrumental learning. This association is consistent with the known early degeneration of the indirect pathway and amygdala involvement in apathy in Huntington's disease, but is previously unreported in any disorder. In keeping with the comparative preservation of the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex in Huntington's disease, reward valuation and reward-effort calculations did not contribute to apathy. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duncan J McLauchlan
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,MRC Center for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Center, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Thomas Lancaster
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,MRC Center for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Center, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - David Craufurd
- Manchester Center for Genomic Medicine, Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Center, Manchester, UK.,St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Center, Manchester, UK
| | - David E J Linden
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,MRC Center for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Center, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Fac. Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Anne E Rosser
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,MRC Center for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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