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Published Online: 19 July 2021

Neurobiological and Psychosocial Correlates of Communication Between Huntington’s Disease Patients and Their Offspring

Kelly H. Watson, Ph.D. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6700-651X [email protected], Abagail E. Ciriegio, M.Ed., Anna C. Pfalzer, Ph.D., Lisa Hale, L.M.S.W., Maile T. Jones, M.Ed., Brittany Brown, B.S., Victoria Grice, B.A., Sarah Moroz, B.A., M.P.H., Katherine E. McDonell, M.D., Daniel O. Claassen, M.D., and Bruce E. Compas, Ph.D.Authors Info & Affiliations
Publication: The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
Volume 33, Number 4
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.neuropsych.20120309
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Abstract

Objective:

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease that presents significant challenges to family communication. The investigators examined observations of communication between parents with HD and their offspring talking about the challenges of HD and explored potential correlates of their communication.

Methods:

The sample included parents with HD and their adolescent and young-adult offspring (N=64). Parent communication and chorea were independently coded from video recordings. Parents and offspring completed working memory assessments and self-reports of neuropsychiatric symptoms, stress, and coping.

Results:

Evidence was found for the association of observed parent-offspring communication with disease markers, psychosocial characteristics, and neurocognitive function. For parents, disease markers and working memory were correlates of communication, whereas offspring’s psychiatric symptoms, stress, and coping were associated with their communication.

Conclusions:

These findings have potential implications for clinical interventions to enhance communication and quality of life for HD families.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
Go to The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
Volume 33 • Number 4 • Fall 2021
Pages: 321 - 327
PubMed: 34280320

History

Received: 23 December 2020
Revision received: 22 March 2021
Accepted: 6 May 2021
Published online: 19 July 2021
Published in print: Fall 2021

Keywords

  1. Huntington’s Disease
  2. Communication
  3. Neurocognitive Function
  4. Stress

Authors

Affiliations

Kelly H. Watson, Ph.D. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6700-651X [email protected]
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. (Watson, Ciriegio, Jones, Grice, Compas); and Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. (Pfalzer, Hale, Brown, Moroz, McDonell, Claassen)
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Abagail E. Ciriegio, M.Ed.
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. (Watson, Ciriegio, Jones, Grice, Compas); and Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. (Pfalzer, Hale, Brown, Moroz, McDonell, Claassen)
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Anna C. Pfalzer, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. (Watson, Ciriegio, Jones, Grice, Compas); and Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. (Pfalzer, Hale, Brown, Moroz, McDonell, Claassen)
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Lisa Hale, L.M.S.W.
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. (Watson, Ciriegio, Jones, Grice, Compas); and Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. (Pfalzer, Hale, Brown, Moroz, McDonell, Claassen)
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Maile T. Jones, M.Ed.
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. (Watson, Ciriegio, Jones, Grice, Compas); and Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. (Pfalzer, Hale, Brown, Moroz, McDonell, Claassen)
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Brittany Brown, B.S.
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. (Watson, Ciriegio, Jones, Grice, Compas); and Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. (Pfalzer, Hale, Brown, Moroz, McDonell, Claassen)
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Victoria Grice, B.A.
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. (Watson, Ciriegio, Jones, Grice, Compas); and Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. (Pfalzer, Hale, Brown, Moroz, McDonell, Claassen)
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Sarah Moroz, B.A., M.P.H.
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. (Watson, Ciriegio, Jones, Grice, Compas); and Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. (Pfalzer, Hale, Brown, Moroz, McDonell, Claassen)
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Katherine E. McDonell, M.D.
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. (Watson, Ciriegio, Jones, Grice, Compas); and Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. (Pfalzer, Hale, Brown, Moroz, McDonell, Claassen)
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Daniel O. Claassen, M.D.
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. (Watson, Ciriegio, Jones, Grice, Compas); and Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. (Pfalzer, Hale, Brown, Moroz, McDonell, Claassen)
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Bruce E. Compas, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. (Watson, Ciriegio, Jones, Grice, Compas); and Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. (Pfalzer, Hale, Brown, Moroz, McDonell, Claassen)
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Notes

Send correspondence to Dr. Watson ([email protected]).

Competing Interests

Supported by funds from the Griffin Family Foundation and by NIMH (grant T32-MH018921).

Funding Information

The authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.

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