Suicidality Risk Factors Across the CARE-HD, 2CARE, and CREST-E Clinical Trials in Huntington Disease

Background and Objectives Suicidality is a common concern in the routine care of persons with Huntington disease (HD) and for the many participants in HD clinical trials. In a previous analysis, we identified baseline and time-dependent factors associated with suicidal ideation and attempts from 2CARE, a large, randomized, double-blind clinical trial. Methods The present analysis extends our prior methodology to 2 other large interventional HD clinical trials, CARE-HD and CREST-E. Results We observed relationships across studies between suicidality events and prior suicidal ideation at baseline, antidepressant/anxiolytic use, chorea, increasing age, and several domains in the Unified Huntington Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) Behavioral Assessment (depressed mood, low self-esteem, aggression, and active suicidality). Discussion These data may form the basis for a subscale of demographic and UHDRS items with the potential for prospectively identifying suicidality risk in HD clinics and clinical trials.