Client with Huntington's disease: Which assessment findings should the nurse expect to find?

Client with Huntington's disease: Which assessment findings should the nurse expect to find?

• A. Ataxia
• B. Chorea - abnormal and excessive involuntary movements including affected facial movements (speech, chewing and swallowing)
• C. Deteriorating gait
• D. Intellectual decline

Answer: (B)

Huntington disease causes progressive degeneration of the caudate nucleus and putamen in the basal ganglia, leading to loss of inhibitory control over thalamocortical circuits. This produces chorea—rapid, irregular, involuntary movements that can involve the limbs and especially the face, causing facial grimacing, and interfering with speech, chewing, and swallowing. The choreiform movements are the most characteristic and expected finding on assessment. While ataxia reflects cerebellar dysfunction, and a deteriorating gait or intellectual decline can occur as the disease progresses, they are not as distinctive as the presence of chorea in Huntington disease.

Huntington disease causes progressive degeneration of the caudate nucleus and putamen in the basal ganglia, leading to loss of inhibitory control over thalamocortical circuits. This produces chorea—rapid, irregular, involuntary movements that can involve the limbs and especially the face, causing facial grimacing, and interfering with speech, chewing, and swallowing. The choreiform movements are the most characteristic and expected finding on assessment. While ataxia reflects cerebellar dysfunction, and a deteriorating gait or intellectual decline can occur as the disease progresses, they are not as distinctive as the presence of chorea in Huntington disease.