Increased irritability, anxiety, and immune reactivity in transgenic Huntington's disease monkeys.

ABSTRACT: Although the most notable clinical symptoms of Huntington's disease (HD) are motor disturbances and brain atrophy, other symptoms include cognitive dysfunction, emotional and hormonal dysregulation. Emotional dysregulation (irritability, anger/aggression, and anxiety) and increased inflammation are early emerging symptoms which can be detected decades before the onset of motor symptoms in HD patients. Despite the advances in understanding the genetic causes of HD there is still no cure or preventative treatment. Thus, to better understand the pathogenesis of HD and develop effective treatments, a holistic understanding of HD is needed, as well as animal models that replicate the full spectrum of HD symptoms. The current study examined the emotional, hormonal, and gene expression responses

SUBMITTER: Raper J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5067193 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature