Motor phenotype assessment of patient's with Huntington's disease using a force plate – a new biomarker for clinical studies?

Background: Patients with Huntington's Disease (HD) develop a progressive impairment of stability of stance and walking, frequently resulting in falls and injuries. In the search for objective and quantitative outcome measures for clinical studies in HD, assessment of motor phenotype dysfunction may serve as an useful surrogate marker. Objective: To investigate whether patients with HD (1) exhibit impairments in the stability of stance compared to controls that can quantitatively be assessed using a force plate and (2) to assess whether these measures correlate to the severity of disease as assessed clinically b…