Huntington disease

There is no effective intervention for Huntington disease, so routine screening of the asymptomatic population is not performed. On a case-by-case basis, individuals at risk for Huntington disease can seek genetic testing while they are asymptomatic. Such individuals are referred to interdisciplinary clinics with specialist expertise in genetic testing and adherence to published guidelines. The inappropriate genetic testing of asymptomatic individuals at risk for Huntington disease may lead to severe emotional reactions or suicide, a risk that should encourage use of referral centers for this purpose.[28]Tibben A, Vegter-vd Vlis M, vd Niermeijer MF, et al. Testing for Huntington's disease with support for all parties. Lancet. 1990 Mar 3;335(8688):553. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1968570?tool=bestpractice.com [29]Tibben A. Genetic counseling and presymptomatic testing. In: Bates G, Harper P, Jones L, eds. Huntington's disease. New York: Oxford University Press; 2002:198-250.[30]MacLeod R, Tibben A, Frontali M, et al; Editorial Committee and Working Group ‘Genetic Testing Counselling’ of the European Huntington Disease Network. Recommendations for the predictive genetic test in Huntington's disease. Clin Genet. 2013 Mar;83(3):221-31. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22642570?tool=bestpractice.com