Neurobiological Predictors of Huntington's Disease (PREDICT-HD)

Prior treatment

• current treatment with antipsychotic medications, including the traditional neuroleptics such as haloperidol as well as the atypical antipsychotics risperidone, clozapine, quetiapine, and olanzapine;
• treatment with phenothiazine-derivative antiemetic medications such as prochlorperazine, metoclopramide, promethazine, and Inapsine on a regular basis (greater than 3 times per month);
  • Specific exclusion criteria for the lumbar puncture:

Other illness

• clinical evidence of unstable medical or psychiatric illness (including substance abuse);
• history of sever learning disability or mental retardation;
• history of other CNS disease or event (e.g., seizures or head trauma);

Lab values

• Current use of anti-platelets

Other

• diagnosis of manifest HD (at least 50% confidence by neurologist that symptoms are present);
• Current use of anti-coagulants
• Unable to provide consent for him/herself

• men and women at risk for HD, who have been tested for the HD gene mutation, and who have not been diagnosed with symptoms of HD (CAG ≥36 for CAG-expanded group or CAG \<36 for CAG-norm group).