The proposed study will examine depression in presymptomatic Huntington's disease (HD). Presymptomatic individuals will be recruited through the NIH-funded PREDICT-HD study. This training proposal consists of two distinct stages. During the first stage, data collected during the PREDICT-HD study will be analyzed. The relationship between reported depression symptom severity, approximate nearness to disease onset, verbal memory, working memory, and visuospatial ability will be assessed. Additional information will be collected during the second stage of this proposal: a subgroup of individuals participating in PREDICT-HD will be assessed for mood disorders using the SCID and will complete a measure of relationship distress. This study will assess the relationship between mood disorders, nearness to disease onset, relationship distress, working, memory, and visuospatial ability.
| Paulsen, Jane S; Nehl, Carissa; Hoth, Karin Ferneyhough et al. (2005) Depression and stages of Huntington's disease. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 17:496-502 |
| Paulsen, Jane S; Hoth, Karin Ferneyhough; Nehl, Carissa et al. (2005) Critical periods of suicide risk in Huntington's disease. Am J Psychiatry 162:725-31 |
