Why do psychiatric symptoms often occur before motor symptoms in Huntington's disease?

💡 The Answer

• The earliest symptoms of Huntington's disease are often subtle mood or psychiatric problems.
• These psychiatric/cognitive issues precede the motor symptoms for many people.
• Motor symptoms, such as lack of coordination and unsteady gait, develop later.
• The disease progresses from subtle mental changes to definitive physical symptoms.
• This sequence is a characteristic feature of the disease.