DRUGS FOR SYMPTOMATIC TREATMENT OF HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE: A NEURO- DEGENERATIVE DISORDER

Abstract

Huntington’s disease is a devastating inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. Patients may present with any of these symptoms, and familiarity with the pheno­type is therefore important. Chorea and loss of balance are early symptoms that patients notice, although families often notice cognitive or personality changes before this. Although no therapy is currently available to delay the onset of symptoms or prevent the progression of the disease, symptomatic treatment of patients with Huntington disease (HD) may improve the quality of life and prevent complications. As is the case with other neurological diseases, HD makes individuals more vulnerable to side effects from medications, particularly cognitive adverse effects. Symptomatic treatment for HD can be divided into drugs to treat the movement disorder and drugs to treat psychiatric or behavioral problems. Symptomatic treatment of Huntington’s disease involves use of Dopamine antagonists, presynaptic dopamine depleters, Antidepressants, Tranquillizers, Anxiolytic Benzodiazepines, Anticonvulsants and Antibiotics. Several medications including baclofen, idebenone and vitamin E have studied in clinical trials with limited samples. This article reviews current therapeutic agents for treatment of the symptoms of Huntington’s disease. The aim of present article is to provide in depth knowledge about symptomatic treatment and other therapies involved in the management of Huntington’s disease.

Key words: Huntington’s disease, Neurodegenerative, Symptomatic treatment, Antidepressants, Chorea.