An evidence-based approach in the treatment of Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease with diverse symptoms for which there is no curative or disease-modifying treatment available. Currently, tetrabenazine is the only drug approved for HD by a regulatory agency, and only for the treatment of chorea. In the current review, we present updated results from recent clinical trials and ongoing clinical research efforts to find effective and safe treatments for HD motor, and neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms. We used a systematic review approach that included data from well-designed randomised controlled trials. The authors conclude that there is weak evidence to support most of the treatment decisions in HD and thus clinicians may be guided only by expert opinion-based therapeutic recommendations. Ongoing research is considerable and is expected to have an impact in the management of HD in upcoming years. (c) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.