title: Self-awareness of motor dysfunction in patients with Huntington's disease in comparison to Parkinson's disease and cervical dystonia.
abstract: Individuals suffering from Huntington's disease (HD) have been shown to present with poor self-awareness of a variety of symptoms. The aim of this study was to better assess the self-awareness of motor symptoms and activities of daily living (ADL) impairment in HD, in comparison to Parkinson's disease (PD) and cervical dystonia (CD). In particular, the anosognosia/anosodiaphoria of involuntary movements has been investigated. Self-awareness was tested in 23 patients with HD by comparing patient and caregiver ratings in reference to clinical control groups (25 PD with dyskinesias, PDdys; 21 PD without dyskinesias, PDndys; and 20 with CD). Patients were assessed neurologically by relevant rating scales. Self-awareness was tested using a scale based on 15 films demonstrating 3 types of motor symptoms (chorea/dyskinesias, parkinsonism, torticollis) as well as the Self-Assessment Parkinson's Disease Disability Scale. General cognitive status, verbal learning, cognitive control, and mood were also analyzed. Our results indicate that self-awareness of choreic movements was affected more severely in HD than in PDdys, despite comparable cognitive status. Patient-proxy agreement on ADL impairment was roughly similar in all clinical groups. The results are discussed in the context of orbitofrontal-limbic pathology as a potential trigger of anosognosia/anosodiaphoria in individuals with HD.
authors: Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Nursing, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland. emsitek@gmail.com
authors: Emilia J
authors: EJ
authors: Sitek
authors: Witold
authors: W
authors: Sołtan
authors: Dariusz
authors: D
authors: Wieczorek
authors: Michał
authors: M
authors: Schinwelski
authors: Piotr
authors: P
authors: Robowski
authors: Ralf
authors: R
authors: Reilmann
authors: Katarzyna
authors: K
authors: Guzińska
authors: Michał
authors: M
authors: Harciarek
authors: Wioletta
authors: W
authors: Krysa
authors: Jarosław
authors: J
authors: Sławek
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness / Q000502:physiology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008032:Limbic System / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D012647:Self-Assessment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014103:Torticollis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology