Understanding Dysphagia in Huntington’s Disease: Prevalence, Risks, and Clinical Considerations

Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare, inherited, neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system that results in the break down and death of neurons in the brain causing involuntary movements as well as psychiatric, cognitive, and behavioral changes (National Institutes of Health, 2025; Pizzorni et al., 2020). Symptoms can develop at any time, however, most often, symptoms occur when a person is in their 30s or 40s.

Dysphagia is a common complication for those with HD which can cause complications such as choking, aspiration pneumonia, and mortality, however, prevalence data is lacking (Kalkers et al., 2022; Pizzorni et al., 2020; Schumann-Werner et al., 2021). Recent publications indicate that 90% of study participants with HD present with dysphagia symptoms (Kalkers et al., 2022). Additionally, studies indicate that dysphagia in individuals with HD may result in high occurrences of penetration and silent aspiration due to issues in communication between sensory and motor networks involved in swallowing (Schumann-Werner et al., 2021). To optimize patient outcomes, the use of instrumental swallowing evaluations early in the disease is recommended in addition to clinical evaluations and patient-reported outcome measures (Pizzori et al., 2020).

HD is passed from parent to child through a gene mutation - if a parent has HD, their children have a 50% change of inheriting the gene. It is often diagnosed with a combination of tests and information including medical history, neurological examination, medical history, imaging, and genetic testing (National Institutes of Health, 2025). Although there is no treatment that can stop HD or reverse it, symptoms can be treated with medication with research ongoing for new treatment options.

To learn more, check out the references cited in this post.

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