Huntington's Disease Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Huntington's Disease, including details on genetics, causes, symptoms, treatment.

Attention, inhibition, and proximity to clinical onset in preclinical mutation carriers for Huntington's disease.

Farrow M, Churchyard A, Chua P, Bradshaw JL, Chiu E, Georgiou-Karistianis N

School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.

Research in preclinical mutation carriers for Huntington's disease (HD) aims to find measures sensitive to preclinical decline. This study investigated attentional abilities in mutation carriers and noncarriers. Mutation carriers demonstrated a normal "attentional blink" during rapid serial visual presentation, normal covert visual orienting, and normal directing of attention to tactile stimuli. However, they were more likely than noncarriers to make anticipatory responses before target presentation. Additionally, those closer to estimated onset of HD demonstrated larger "inhibition of return" effects. The findings suggest potential changes in cognitive inhibition of unwanted responses, and in automatic inhibition of visual orienting, in preclinical HD.

Published 24 April 2007 in J Clin Exp Neuropsychol, 29(3): 235-46.
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