HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE DRUG WORKS
HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE DRUG WORKS
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The HDDW Individual Therapeutic Trials have crossed the two year mark. Dr. LaVonne Veatch Goodman summarizes the results for the 22 participants who haven been in the trial for at least 1.5 years. The exciting news is that most have improved or remained stable.Many Huntington’s people, those with symptoms and those who are at risk, are taking combinations of supplements that scientists have found to be beneficial in HD mice models and pilot human studies. We do this because we have a level of trust in results generated by research, and we know that definitive human trials on single agents and the combination trials to follow will likely take more years than we have.
HDDW Trial Description It was in this setting that HDDW began combination trials in the spring of 2004. The HDDW goal was to gather information on therapeutic response to combinations of supplements (creatine, coenzyme Q-10, omega 3 fatty acids, trehalose, and blueberry extract) in up to 30 Huntington’s volunteers over a 3 year time period. Using a subset of motor and cognitive tests (based on the United Huntington’s Disease Rating scale (UHDRS)), 22 trial participants from early to late stage disease have been followed for more than 1½ years. Ten have completed two years.
Group Results Most participants with early disease have improved scores. Participants with midstage disease who take there agents faithfully have remained stable or have a trend towards improvement. Three (of four) participants with late stage disease have worsened. Two of these late stage participants had demonstrated stability for over a year, then worsened at the time of medical illness not related to HD.
Of the 22 test participants with results available for 1½ years or more, test scores have improved in 5, remained stable in 13, and worsened in 4. Most of those who worsened have advanced disease or weren’t consistent with agent use.
Graph Description The following graphs show the test scores for three participants. The horizontal, left-to-right line represents days since the start of the trial. The vertical, bottom-to-top line represents test scores; higher scores are better. Each small graph shows scores for the same participant on one of the six tests used in the trial. Each point is the result from a single day’s entry for a specific test. The line joining the points is a (mathematically derived) trend of test results over time. A flat line represents no change; an upward slope represents improved scores; a downward slope worsening score. The different colored lines show the results collected and analyzed in slightly different ways. The line you want to look at is the gold or green one.
Case 1: The gold line shows improvement in all areas
Case 2: The gold line shows improvement in tapping with stabilization in all other areas
Case 3: Gold line shows mild improvement in color matching; stabilization in others
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