title: Behavioral measures of saccade latency and inhibition in manifest and premanifest Huntington's disease.
abstract: Initiation and inhibition of saccadic eye movements has been shown to be impaired in patients with Huntington's disease (HD) and premanifest gene carriers (PMGC), and may provide biomarkers useful in tracking phenotypic change. Computerized behavioral tests of prosaccade latency and disinhibition presented to 31 non-gene carriers (NGC), 25 PMGC, and 12 HD patients. These tests provided quantitative performance measures without use of eye-tracking equipment. Significant differences on saccade tests were found, with PMGC intermediate between NGC and HD patients. Saccade latency discriminated PMGC from NGC, whereas saccade disinhibition discriminated PMGC from HD patients. Results suggest utility of behavioral saccade measures as premanifest indicators of phenoconversion in HD.
authors.affiliation: Movement Disorders Program-Neurology, Charleston Memorial Hospital, 326 Calhoun St., Suite 308, PO Box 250108, Charleston, SC 29401, USA. turnertr@musc.edu
authors.forename: Travis H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Jody
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: Joanne M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pirogovsky
authors.forename: Guerry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peavy
authors.forename: Jody
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Corey-Bloom
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011581:Psychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D012438:Saccades / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity