Psychopathological changes preceding motor symptoms in Huntington's disease: a report on four cases.
Neurodegenerative disorders often exhibit "classical" psychiatric symptoms as an initial presentation of the disease. Here we present four patients with different psychopathological abnormalities who were later diagnosed as having Huntington's disease. The range of symptoms covered affective and psychotic symptoms, antisocial behavior, cognitive problems reminiscent of dementia and suicidal idealisation. The pattern of progress of neuronal degeneration may be helpful in explaining the antecedent manifestation of psychiatric symptoms.
Amann
B
B
Psychiatric Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Nussbaumstr. 7 D-80336 Munich, Germany.
Sterr
A
A
Thoma
H
H
Messer
T
T
Kapfhammer
H P
HP
Grunze
H
H
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000473:pathology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000473:pathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index