UVa Health System, Department of Neurology, seeks individuals who are affected by Huntington's Disease and those who are part of an HD family for a research study, The Cooperative Huntington's Disease Observational Research Trial (COHORT).

The purpose of the study is to collect ongoing information from individuals who are affected by HD and those who are part of an HD family in order to learn more about HD, potential treatments, and to plan future research studies of experimental drugs aimed at postponing the onset or slowing the progression of HD. Study involves a clinical evaluation, which includes standard tests to evaluate movement, mental function, and psychological and behavioral features of HD. For those subjects who are 18 years of age or older, blood will be drawn to measure the HD gene and other genes previously shown to be important in HD. Individuals over the age of 18 may also participate in the following optional procedures:

Collection of family history information

Collection of biological specimens:

• Blood will be collected at each visit and stored in a specimen repository
• Urine will be collected at either the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th study visit and stored in a specimen repository

Compensation:

No compensation is provided for this study.