[Speed of ocular saccades in Huntington disease. Prospective study].
BACKGROUND
Oculomotor abnormalities, especially slow saccades, have long been recognized in Huntington's disease (HD).


OBJECTIVE
To study prospectively horizontal saccade velocity by videonystagmography in 21 patients with genetically confirmed HD. The study included a baseline analysis and a second evaluation after 18.8 +/- 7.1 months. We included a control group of 15 subjects.


RESULTS
HD group exhibited decreased saccade velocity when compared with that from a control group (for predictive and unpredictive target). HD patients showed decreased saccade velocity with the passage of time (for predictive target, p < 0.01). Finally we found statistical significant correlation between saccade velocity and triplet length.


CONCLUSIONS
The measurement of saccade velocity might be an objective method to study the natural evolution of HD, and thus evaluate the effectiveness of future therapies.
García Ruiz
P J
PJ
Servicios de Neurología y Otorrinolaringología, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid. pgarcia@fjd.es
Cenjor
C
C
Ulmer
E
E
Hernández
J
J
Cantarero
S
S
Fanjul
S
S
García de Yébenes
J
J
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011698:Pursuit, Smooth / Q000502:physiology; D012438:Saccades / Q000502:physiology*; D014741:Video Recording