• Emilia J Sitek, Witold Sołtan, Dariusz Wieczorek, Michał Schinwelski, Piotr Robowski, Ralf Reilmann, Katarzyna Guzińska, Michał Harciarek, Wioletta Krysa, and Jarosław Sławek.
• Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Nursing, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland. emsitek@gmail.com
• J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2011 Sep 1;17(5):788-95.

AbstractIndividuals suffering from Huntington's disease (HD) have been shown to present with poor self-awareness of a variety of symptoms. The aim of this study was to better assess the self-awareness of motor symptoms and activities of daily living (ADL) impairment in HD, in comparison to Parkinson's disease (PD) and cervical dystonia (CD). In particular, the anosognosia/anosodiaphoria of involuntary movements has been investigated. Self-awareness was tested in 23 patients with HD by comparing patient and caregiver ratings in reference to clinical control groups (25 PD with dyskinesias, PDdys; 21 PD without dyskinesias, PDndys; and 20 with CD). Patients were assessed neurologically by relevant rating scales. Self-awareness was tested using a scale based on 15 films demonstrating 3 types of motor symptoms (chorea/dyskinesias, parkinsonism, torticollis) as well as the Self-Assessment Parkinson's Disease Disability Scale. General cognitive status, verbal learning, cognitive control, and mood were also analyzed. Our results indicate that self-awareness of choreic movements was affected more severely in HD than in PDdys, despite comparable cognitive status. Patient-proxy agreement on ADL impairment was roughly similar in all clinical groups. The results are discussed in the context of orbitofrontal-limbic pathology as a potential trigger of anosognosia/anosodiaphoria in individuals with HD.

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