Huntington's Disease Insights

In a study by Badreddine et al. (2025), researchers discovered early signs of motor learning difficulties in young HdhCAG140/+ mice, a model for Huntington's disease. These difficulties were observed well before any noticeable issues with motor coordination appeared. The team used two-photon calcium imaging, a technique for observing brain activity, to find that these mice had abnormal activity patterns in two regions of the brain involved in movement and coordination, known as the dorsomedial and dorsolateral striatum.

Furthermore, while normal mice could reorganize their brain activity in response to motor training, the HdhCAG140/+ mice did not show this adaptability. This suggests that the disease may interfere with the brain's ability to change in response to learning new motor skills. These findings highlight potential early markers for Huntington's disease that could be used to identify the condition before more severe symptoms develop.