Citation

McGarry A, McDermott MP, Kieburtz K, Alan Fung WL, McCusker E, Peng J, de Blieck EA, Cudkowicz M. Neurology 2019; 92(14): e1643-e1651.

Affiliation

From Cooper University Healthcare at Rowan University (A.M.), Camden, NJ; University of Rochester (M.P.M., K.K., E.A.d.B.), NY; North York General Hospital (W.L.A.F.), University of Toronto, Canada; Westmead Hospital (E.M.), Australia; The Ohio State University (J.P.), Columbus; and Harvard Medical School (M.C.), Boston, MA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1212/WNL.0000000000007244

PMID

30850442

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Most suicidality literature in Huntington disease (HD) is based on natural history studies or retrospective reviews, but reports on risk factors from clinical trials are limited.

METHODS: We analyzed 609 participants from 2CARE, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with up to 5 years of follow-up, for risk factors related to suicidality. The primary outcome variable was the time from randomization until the first occurrence of either suicidal ideation or attempt. We also considered time from randomization until the first suicide attempt as a secondary outcome variable.

RESULTS: Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, antidepressant or anxiolytic use, and prior suicide attempt at baseline were associated with time to ideation or attempt. Baseline employment status, marital status, CAG repeat length, tetrabenazine use, and treatment assignment (coenzyme Q₁₀ or placebo) were not associated with suicidality. Time-dependent variables from the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale Behavioral Assessment were associated with time to suicidal ideation or attempt, driven mainly by items related to depressed mood, low self-esteem/guilt, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, irritability, and compulsions. Variables associated with time to suicide attempt alone were generally similar.

CONCLUSION: These data suggest psychiatric comorbidities in HD are predictive of suicidal behavior while participating in clinical trials, reinforcing the importance of clinical surveillance and treatment towards lessening risk during participation and perhaps beyond. Designing a composite algorithm for early prediction of suicide attempts in HD may be of value, particularly given anticipated trials aimed at disease modification are likely to be long-term. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: NCT00608881.

© 2019 American Academy of Neurology.

Language: en