Transcranial brain sonography in Huntington's Disease: depression correlates with the detection of hypoechogenic mesencephalic raphe structures

Background: Transcranial sonography (TCS) has become a new diagnostic tool in the evaluation of extrapyramidal disorders. Furthermore, recent studies report alterations of mesencephalic raphe structures in unipolar depression and in depressed Parkinson patients. Aim of this study was to evaluate TCS findings in patients with Huntington's disease in correlation with their neurological and psychiatric status. Methods: Thirty-nine patients with genetically confirmed Huntington's disease were included (mean age 47.9, 23 females): Neurological and psychiatric statuses including standardized scales were assessed by in…