Stimulation Delays Symptoms of Huntington’s in Mice

A study in mice suggests that people with Huntington’s disease might be able to delay the onset of symptoms by keeping busy in a stimulating environment. Mice took longer to show symptoms if they lived in cages with plenty of objects to play with and explore, British scientists report in today’s Nature.

The test animals lived in an “enriched” environment that included tunnels, boxes, tubes and other objects of cardboard, paper and plastic. New objects replaced old ones every couple of days. One Huntington’s abnormality--difficulty in turning around on a narrow rod--appeared in only one of seven mice from the enriched cage but in all nine from the standard cage by 22 weeks of age. Another abnormality, clasping of hind paws when held aloft by the tail, appeared in half of the “enriched” animals by that time, versus vs. all of the other mice.

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Compiled by Times medical writer Thomas H. Maugh II