Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39891411›Full record

SynthesisMovement disorders clinical practice2025

Pharmacological Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Huntington's Disease: A Systematic Review.

Ruben L Andriessen, Mayke Oosterloo, Jory Molema, Maud M J Daemen, David E J Linden, Albert F G Leentjens

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Movement disorders clinical practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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.

Ruben L AndriessenDepartment of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6337-0952
Mayke OosterlooDepartment of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Jory MolemaDepartment of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Maud M J DaemenMental Health and Neuroscience Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
David E J LindenDepartment of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Albert F G LeentjensMental Health and Neuroscience Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7901-571X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundStudies focusing on the treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in Huntington's disease (HD) are scarce and show a wide variation in design, outcome measures and methodological quality. The effectiveness of pharmacological treatment of NPS in HD has not been systematically reviewed so far.

objectiveTo provide an overview of the available literature on the effectiveness of pharmacological treatment of NPS in HD.

methodsPubMed and the Cochrane library were systematically searched for studies assessing the effects of pharmacotherapy of NPS, both as a primary and as secondary outcome. A risk of bias assessment was performed for each article.

resultsFifteen articles qualified for critical evaluation: 10 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (five placebo-controlled and five cross-over) and five open label studies. One RCT reported improvement of the overall NPS with nabilone treatment; another RCT reported that fluoxetine slightly improved irritability. Lower-level evidence from open studies suggests that the atypical antipsychotics cariprazine, olanzapine and risperidone may improve overall NPS, and that cariprazine, venlafaxine XR and olanzapine may improve depression. In addition, olanzapine may improve obsessive thoughts, aggression, anxiety and irritability.

conclusionsWe conclude that although NPS in HD are common, hardly any clinical trials have addressed their treatment. As a result, convincing evidence that could guide clinical practice is lacking. More focused, and larger, multicenter trials focusing on NPS are urgently needed to generate the knowledge necessary to support the development of evidence-based clinical treatment guidelines.

Indexed as

Antipsychotic AgentsHuntington DiseaseMental DisordersHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAntipsychotic AgentsHuntington's diseaseneuropsychiatric symptomspsychotropic medicationsystematic reviewtreatment

Identifiers

PMID39891411
PMCPMC11998698

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.