Researchers detect signs of neuronal damage in the earliest stage of Huntington's disease

AI Summary

A study from Institut de Recerca Sant Pau found elevated neurofilament light chain, a marker of neuronal injury, in some people carrying the Huntington’s disease mutation before motor or cognitive symptoms or detectable brain-volume loss. The findings indicate that neuronal damage may begin at the disease’s earliest stage.

Before motor or cognitive impairments appear and before brain volume loss becomes evident, some individuals carrying the genetic mutation that causes Huntington's disease already show signs of neuronal injury. This is demonstrated by a study conducted by the Institut de Recerca Sant Pau (IR Sant Pau), which has detected elevated levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a protein that indicates this damage, in individuals classified in the earliest stage of the disease.