Diagnosing HD

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Dr. Hugh Rickards and I delve into the topic of diagnosing HD and what it means. "People with HD may consult with a psychiatrist, a neurologist and a psychologist for their diverse symptoms, but what they really need, says Hugh Rickards, FRCPsych, MD, is a “Huntingtonologist”: A doctor who has been trained in all the diverse manifestations of the disease, from motor control to emotional issues to cognitive changes. Rickards, who is consultant in neuropsychiatry and honorary professor at the University of Birmingham, says that the emotional and cognitive problems of HD tend to get underplayed by doctors and researchers—and it shouldn’t be that way. Rickards is a neuropsychiatrist at a large clinic for people with HD, and is also involved in recruiting people for research, including Enroll-HD. His own interest in the emotional landscape of HD has led him to spot similarities between HD and Asperger’s syndrome, the autism-like developmental disorder involving difficulty understanding other people’s feelings and states of mind."