Clinical neuroscienceCognitive assessment strategies in Huntington's disease research

- Cognitive assessment in HD research is an exciting and evolving field.
- After four decades of cognitive research in HD, important lessons have been learnt.
- We review the important historical developments in the study of cognition in HD.
- Important considerations when including cognitive assessment in HD research are discussed.
- Finally, we outline future directions for cognitive research in HD.

The number of studies examining cognition in Huntington's disease (HD) has increased dramatically in recent decades, and cognitive research methods in HD have become much more sophisticated. In this review, we provide a summary of the advances in cognitive research in HD to date, and outline the key considerations for researchers planning to include cognitive assessment in their studies of HD. In particular, we discuss consideration of structure-function relationships, selection of tests appropriate to the population, choice of materials and issues of intellectual property, consideration of variables which can confound studies of cognition in HD, practice effects, and specific issues for multi-site research. Finally, we discuss future directions for cognitive assessment in HD research.