Increased rateofsuicide among patients with Huntington's disease

SUMMARY Theproportion ofdeaths attributed tosuicide was examined among 506deceased individuals withdiagnosed or suspected Huntington's Disease fromNewEngland USA.Comparison ofthis proportion withthatofthegeneral population indicated that theoddsofadeath beingduetosuicide intheHuntington's disease group is8-2times thatoftheMassachusetts population for personsaged50to69yr,butno difference appearsinthe10to49yragegroup. Amongthe157Huntington's disease patients forwhomcauseofdeath was known,thecorresponding oddsestimates are23*0forthe50to69yr age group and2-7forthe10to49yrage group.Morethanhalf ofthesuicides occurred inindividuals whoshowedearly signs oftheillness butwhohadnotbeendiagnosed, suggesting that suicide may occur more frequently intheearly stages oftheillness. Huntington's disease, an autosomal dominant neurological disorder withonset inmidlife, results inprogressive involuntary choreiform movements andcognitive impairment whichmaybepreceded oraccompanied byemotional disturbance.' Onsetof symptoms usually occurs between 30and50years of agebutonsetasearly as4years andaslate as65 hasbeenreported.2 Deathbysuicide amongindividuals affected by Huntington's disease isoneoftheserious consequencesreported forthis illness.3-7 Infact, inhisnow classic 1872description, GeorgeHuntington included thetendency tosuicide asoneofthemajor features oftheillness whichbearshisname.8 Although suicide isaleading causeofdeathinthe United States, ranking ninth in1976,9 suicide prediction remains problematic.'0 However, therecognition offactors associated withsuicide inHuntington's disease patients mayhelpinanticipating this risk. Thispaperpresents datacollected bytheNew EnglandHuntington's DiseaseCenterWithout Walls onpatterns ofsuicide amongpatients withthe disease.