PHARMACEUTICAL CARE IN THE MONITORING OF PATIENTS WITH HUNTINGTON SYNDROME: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Abstract

Huntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder that affects the brain's nerve cells. Its onset is characterized by involuntary movements, changes in motor coordination, and loss of cognitive abilities. There are still few studies that discuss HD, and studies that commit to this purpose are of great importance. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the importance of pharmaceutical care in the monitoring of patients with Huntington's syndrome. The development of the work was based on a qualitative study of integrative bibliographic review of the literature through scientific articles and monographs published between 2014 and 2024 on the subject, supported by the documentary analysis of Bardin (2011). As for the results, 44 studies were used in the construction of this bibliographic review, 29 of which were explored in the results and discussion. After a thorough analysis of the studies, it was observed that patients with Huntington's syndrome face motor, cognitive, and emotional challenges that require multidisciplinary care and continuous therapeutic adjustments. Furthermore, gene therapy appears to be a promising approach in the treatment of HD, aiming to correct the genetic mutation that causes the disease. Regarding pharmaceutical care, it was found to play a very important role in improving the quality of life of patients with Huntington's disease, since it optimizes drug treatment and helps to control adverse effects. Therefore, pharmaceutical monitoring is essential to optimize the treatment of patients with HD, promoting better therapeutic adherence and ongoing education about the disease. It is also worth noting that this support greatly contributes to the quality of life and well-being of both patients and their families and caregivers.