Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32164608›Full record

ArticleBMC neurology2020

Psychiatric morbidity and poor follow-up underlie suboptimal functional and survival outcomes in Huntington's disease.

Nikhil Ratna, Nitish L Kamble, Sowmya D Venkatesh, Meera Purushottam, Pramod K Pal, Sanjeev Jain

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC neurology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 46% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Co-Design of a New Integrated Care Model With People Affected by Huntington's Disease: A Mixed Methods Study.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Nikhil RatnaDepartment of Clinical Neuro Sciences, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India. mybrainjourney@gmail.com.
Nitish L KambleDepartment of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India.
Sowmya D VenkateshMolecular Genetics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India.
Meera PurushottamMolecular Genetics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India.
Pramod K PalDepartment of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India.
Sanjeev JainMolecular Genetics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India.
National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences · IN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHuntington's disease (HD), an inherited, often late-onset, neurodegenerative disorder, is considered to be a rare, orphan disease. Research into its genetic correlates and services for those affected are inadequate in most low-middle income countries, including India. The apparent 'incurability' often deters symptomatic and rehabilitative care, resulting in poor quality of life and sub-optimal outcomes. There are no studies assessing disease burden and outcomes from India.

methodsWe attempted to evaluate individuals diagnosed to have HD at our tertiary-care center between 2013 and 2016 for clinical symptoms, functionality, mortality, follow up status through a structured interview, clinical data from medical records and UHDRS-TFC scoring.

resultsOf the 144 patients, 25% were untraceable, and another 17 (11.8%) had already died. Mean age at death and duration of illness at the time of death, were 53 years and 7 years respectively, perhaps due to suicides and other comorbidities at an early age. The patients who could be contacted (n = 81) were assessed for morbidity and total functional capacity (TFC). Mean CAG repeat length and TFC score were 44.2 and 7.5 respectively. Most individuals (66%) were in TFC stage I and II and could perhaps benefit from several interventions. The TFC score correlated inversely with duration of illness (p < 0.0001). The majority were being taken care of at home, irrespective of the physical and mental disability. There was a high prevalence of psychiatric morbidity (91%) including suicidal tendency (22%). Three of the 17 who died had committed suicide, and several other families reported suicidal history in other family members. Only about half the patients (57%) maintained a regular clinical follow-up.

conclusionsThis study demonstrates the poor follow-up rates, significant suicidality and other psychiatric symptoms, sub-optimal survival durations and functional outcomes highlighting the need for holistic care for the majority who appear to be amenable to interventions.

Indexed as

Quality of LifeAdolescentAdultComorbidityFemaleHumansHuntington DiseaseIndiaMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceSuicidal IdeationSuicideYoung AdultCAG repeat lengthHuntington’s diseaseOutcomesPsychiatric morbiditySuicidal tendencyTotal functional capacity

Identifiers

PMID32164608
PMCPMC7068943
OpenAlexW3011538562

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.