Objective: To investigate the association between psychiatric manifestations and perceived quality of life in patients with Huntington’s disease (HD).

Background: HD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. While motor impairment is traditionally emphasized, psychiatric manifestations may substantially influence patient well-being and daily functioning. However, their contribution to perceived quality of life in HD remains incompletely characterized, particularly in Latin American populations.

Method: This cross-sectional observational study included 55 patients with genetically confirmed HD followed at a specialized movement disorders center in Brazil. Participants underwent comprehensive clinical assessment including the Unified Huntington’s Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to identify factors independently associated with quality of life.

Results: Global SF-36 scores ranged from 19 to 93, with a median of 61 (Q1-Q3: 40-75), indicating substantial heterogeneity in perceived quality of life among participants. In multivariate analysis, psychiatric comorbidity, higher depressive symptom scores (HAM-D), and higher anxiety scores (HAM-A) were independently associated with poorer quality of life. The final model explained 37.1% of the variance in global SF-36 scores, indicating that psychiatric burden significantly contributes to perceived quality of life in HD.

Conclusion: Psychiatric symptoms represent major determinants of perceived quality of life in Huntington’s disease. These findings highlight the importance of systematic psychiatric assessment and integrated neuropsychiatric care in the management of HD.

References: EDDY, Christopher M.; PARKINSON, Emma G.; RICKARDS, Hugh E. Changes in mental state and behaviour in Huntington’s disease. The Lancet Psychiatry, Londres, v. 3, n. 11, p. 1079–1086, 2016. DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30144-4;

MARTINEZ-HORTA, Sergio; PEREZ-PEREZ, Juan; VAN DUIJN, Erik; et al. Neuropsychiatric symptoms are very common in premanifest and early stage Huntington’s disease. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, Amsterdam, v. 25, p. 58–64, 2016. DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2016.02.008;

PÉREZ-PÉREZ, Juan; GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, Sergio; FERNÁNDEZ VALLE, Teresa; et al. Huntington disease health-related quality of life, function and well-being: the patient’s perspective. Neurology and Therapy, Cham, v. 14, p. 99–115, 2025. DOI: 10.1007/s40120-024-00655-0.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/psychiatric-symptoms-and-quality-of-life-in-huntingtons-disease-evidence-from-a-brazilian-cohort/