AAN Guideline Outlines Drug Treatments for Involuntary Movements in Huntington’s Disease
The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has released a new guideline for treating chorea—uncontrollable jerky movements often experienced by people with Huntington’s disease.
“Chorea can be disabling, worsen weight loss and increase the risk of falling,” said guideline lead author and AAN member Dr. Melissa Armstrong, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Neurology.
Published in the July issue of the journal Neurology, the guideline recommends several drug treatments for chorea: tetrabenazine, riluzole, amantadine and nabilone. The medications riluzole, amantadine and nabilone are not often prescribed for Huntington’s disease.
“People with Huntington’s disease who have chorea should discuss with their doctors whether treating chorea is a priority,” Armstrong said. “Huntington’s disease is complex with a wide range of sometimes severe symptoms and treating other symptoms may be a higher priority than treating chorea.”
View the patient summary of the guideline here.