HD-DRUM Rhythmic Training in Huntington's Disease: Feasibility, Motor, and Brain Microstructural Pilot Signals.
8 affiliations
- 1Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
- 2Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Department for Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- 3Centre for Trials Research, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Neuadd Meirionnydd, Cardiff, UK.
- 4Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care, King's College, London, UK.
- 5Huntington's Disease Association-HD Voice Public and Patient Input, Liverpool, UK.
- 6George-Huntington-Institute, Muenster, Germany.
- 7Department of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
- 8Cardiff Brain Repair Group, Lifescience Building (BIOSI 3), Cardiff, UK.
Abstract
Background
Rhythmic cuing may benefit motor functions in Huntington's disease (HD) by compensating for the loss of predictive timing associated with basal ganglia degeneration. To our knowledge no remote rhythmic training application has been developed or evaluated that seeks to improve function in HD. HD-DRUM is a tablet-based rhythmic cuing application for the training of paced movements. Feasibility of 8 weeks at-home HD-DRUM compared with usual-activity control was assessed in a two-arm, pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) in people with HD. HD-DRUM-related changes in motor and cognitive functions, mood, and brain microstructure were explored.Objectives
Primary outcomes were feasibility rates (recruitment, retention, adherence, acceptability) for an effectiveness RCT. Secondary outcomes were estimates of HD-DRUM-related effect sizes on motor functions, cognition, mood, and brain microstructure to explore training mechanisms.Methods
Fifty-five individuals with HD were randomized into either HD-DRUM (n = 32, 1 excluded) or control (n = 23) groups. Participants underwent Quantitative-Motor, cognitive and mood assessments and diffusion-weighted MRI at baseline and follow-up. Recruitment, retention, and adherence rates were recorded, and HD-DRUM acceptability was assessed with a self-report questionnaire. Group differences of changes in behavioral and brain microstructural measures were reported with 95% confidence intervals.Results
Acceptability of HD-DRUM, retention, and adherence rates averages were high (>80%) and target recruitment was reached. Performance in paced tapping and brain microstructure in motor networks signaled training benefits and were associated with each other.Conclusions
HD-DRUM may provide an accessible intervention that can aid maintenance of motor function and brain microstructure in HD.
Related
- The human-specific lncRNA HD-LINC drives lipid droplet-associated neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease
- Restoring Aquaporin-4 alleviates molecular and motor phenotypes in zQ175 mouse model of Huntington disease
- Computer vision-aided locomotor behavioral analysis identifies therapeutic motor signatures in a mouse model of Huntington disease
- Cas9 nickase–mediated contraction of CAG/CTG repeats is associated with phenotypic improvements in a Huntington’s disease mouse model
- Blocking somatic repeat expansion and lowering huntingtin by RNAi synergize to attenuate Huntington’s disease pathogenesis in mice
BibTeX
@article{laguna2026hddrum,
title = {{HD-DRUM Rhythmic Training in Huntington's Disease: Feasibility, Motor, and Brain Microstructural Pilot Signals.}},
author = {Pedro Luque Laguna and Vasileios Ioakeimidis and Cheney J G Drew and Philip Pallmann and Monica Busse-Morris and Guy B Watson and Robin Schubert and Anne E Rosser and Claudia Metzler-Baddeley},
journal = {Movement disorders clinical practice},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/mdc3.70871},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42922411},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - HD-DRUM Rhythmic Training in Huntington's Disease: Feasibility, Motor, and Brain Microstructural Pilot Signals.
AU - Pedro Luque Laguna
AU - Vasileios Ioakeimidis
AU - Cheney J G Drew
AU - Philip Pallmann
AU - Monica Busse-Morris
AU - Guy B Watson
AU - Robin Schubert
AU - Anne E Rosser
AU - Claudia Metzler-Baddeley
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Movement disorders clinical practice
DO - 10.1002/mdc3.70871
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42922411
AB - Background Rhythmic cuing may benefit motor functions in Huntington's disease (HD) by compensating for the loss of predictive timing associated with basal ganglia degeneration. To our knowledge no remote rhythmic training application has been developed or evaluated that seeks to improve function in HD. HD-DRUM is a tablet-based rhythmic cuing application for the training of paced movements. Feasibility of 8 weeks at-home HD-DRUM compared with usual-activity control was assessed in a two-arm, pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) in people with HD. HD-DRUM-related changes in motor and cognitive functions, mood, and brain microstructure were explored.Objectives Primary outcomes were feasibility rates (recruitment, retention, adherence, acceptability) for an effectiveness RCT. Secondary outcomes were estimates of HD-DRUM-related effect sizes on motor functions, cognition, mood, and brain microstructure to explore training mechanisms.Methods Fifty-five individuals with HD were randomized into either HD-DRUM (n = 32, 1 excluded) or control (n = 23) groups. Participants underwent Quantitative-Motor, cognitive and mood assessments and diffusion-weighted MRI at baseline and follow-up. Recruitment, retention, and adherence rates were recorded, and HD-DRUM acceptability was assessed with a self-report questionnaire. Group differences of changes in behavioral and brain microstructural measures were reported with 95% confidence intervals.Results Acceptability of HD-DRUM, retention, and adherence rates averages were high (>80%) and target recruitment was reached. Performance in paced tapping and brain microstructure in motor networks signaled training benefits and were associated with each other.Conclusions HD-DRUM may provide an accessible intervention that can aid maintenance of motor function and brain microstructure in HD.
SN - 2330-1619
ER -