Healthcare Sciences at the European Huntington's Disease Network Conference 2014

The School of Healthcare Sciences was well represented at the European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN) conference in Barcelona last month. Taking place from 19-21 September, the conference brought together clinicians, scientists, EHA delegates and members of families affected by HD.  

Guidance for people with Huntington's Disease

Professor Monica Busse, who is leading pioneering research into the role that exercise, physical activity and physiotherapy can have for people with Huntington's disease (HD), presented a session on physiotherapy guidance for people with Huntington's Disease. The guidance, developed by the Physiotherapy Working Group, is also available as a guidance document for physiotherapists across the world working with people with Huntington's disease, based on best available evidence. This document is freely available from the Active HD website. 

Monica developed the Physiotherapy Working Group within the EHDN and has co-chaired the group with Dr Lori Quinn for the last eight years. Both Lori and Monica have stepped down from their roles and are succeeded by Karen Jones and Katy Hamana, also from the School of Healthcare Sciences.

Research Posters

Three posters from within the school were also displayed at the conference: 

Una Jones reported on the findings of an observation study that identified that respiratory function decreases with progression of Huntington's disease. 

Katy Hamana reported on the findings of a randomized controlled trial of task-specific mobility training in Huntington's disease. Most participants in the study exceeded goal expectation with excellent adherence. While the programme was well received by people with Huntington's disease and facilitated achievement of personal mobility goals, training intensity and specificity was likely insufficient to achieve systematic improvements in standardized outcome measures.  These findings were explored in more detail in a case study presented by Karen Jones.

The EHDN is unique in that the conference includes sessions for researchers, clinicians and families. It provided participants from the School with an excellent opportunity to meet families and researchers from across the world to ensure that the research developed within the School's Repair, Re-ablement, Rehabilitation and Recovery research theme is meaningful to those who will benefit from the investigations.