RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures in early Huntington's disease
JF Practical Neurology
JO Pract Neurol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 452
OP 454
DO 10.1136/practneurol-2016-001423
VO 16
IS 6
A1 Rodrigues, Filipe Brogueira
A1 Wild, Edward J
YR 2016
UL http://pn.bmj.com/content/16/6/452.abstract
AB Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterised by motor dysfunction with involuntary movements and loss of voluntary control, cognitive deterioration and psychiatric problems. We report a 51-year-old man with early HD who experienced stereotyped episodes of repetitive, purposeless complex movements and unresponsiveness. His neurological examination was compatible with HD as were all investigations. We diagnosed psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. While seizures are common in juvenile-onset HD, they are no more prevalent in adult-onset HD than in the general population. However, neuropsychiatric symptoms are common in HD and can involve a number of different complaints. Patients may experience dissociative attacks soon after manifesting a HD diagnosis. Such episodes can be managed with patient and carer education, cognitive behavioural therapy and anxiolytic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.