Programs & Services

Movement Disorders Clinic: Individuals who have symptoms of Huntington's Disease may be seen for a neurological examination by Dr. Madaline Harrison, the director of the HD Clinic. Laboratory testing and other evaluations are performed as indicated. Neuropsychological testing is undertaken if warranted.

An appointment with Dr. Harrison can be made by calling (804) 924-5304.

Multidisciplinary Huntington's Disease Clinic: Individuals who have been diagnosed with Huntington's Disease may wish to be seen in the multidisciplinary HD clinic held once a month. Appointments can be arranged with Neurology Psychiatry Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech, Social Work, and Genetics. The schedule of appointments at the clinic is tailored to the needs of the individual person.

Clinic Staff

  • Madaline Harrison, M.D., Neurology, Clinic Director
  • Barbara Haskins, M.D., Psychiatry
  • Carol Manning, Ph.D., Neurology
  • John Zenker R.P.T., Physical Therapy
  • Carol Clerico, O.T.R., Occupational Therapy
  • Patricia Ledbetter, Ph.D., Speech/Swallowing
  • Kenneth Cady, M.S.W., Social Work
  • Patricia Allinson, M.S., Genetics

The clinic is held at the Fontaine Avenue facility at 500 Ray C. Hunt Drive, in Charlottesville. An appointment at the clinic can be made by calling Pat Allinson at (804) 924-2665.

Predictive Testing Program: Individuals who have a family history of Huntington's Disease may wish to know whether they have inherited the disorder. A predictive testing program is available which follows the protocol recommended by the Huntington's Disease Society of America. In the predictive testing protocol, at-risk individuals are seen for psychological and genetic counseling, a neurological examination, and neuropsychological testing before genetic testing is performed.

Predictive Testing Program Staff

  • Thaddeus Kelly, M.D., Ph.D., Genetics
  • Carol Manning, Ph.D., Neuropsychology
  • Madeline Harrison, M.D., Neurology
  • Patricia Allinson, M. S., Genetics

Additional information about the program is available from the genetic counselor on the HD team, Pat Allinson, M.S., at (804) 924-2665.

Support Groups: Support group meetings for patients and caregivers are held once a month in conjunction with the HD Clinic. The meetings are held from 12:30-1:30 p.m. and are open to all. It is not necessary to have an appointment at the clinic in order to attend. An informational talk about a topic of interest is given starting at 12:00 p.m. before the meetings begin.

A schedule of talks and meetings is available from Pat Allinson, M.S., at (804) 924-2665.

Clinical Trials: The University of Virginia Medical Center is an approved site for the NIH-sponsored CARE HD clinical trial of Coenzyme Q10 and Remacemide currently underway nationwide. Dr. Madaline Harrison is director of the study at UVa.

Additional information about the study is available from the nurse coordinator, Elke Rost-Ruffner, R.N., at (804) 243-5422.

Other Research Projects:
Driving and Huntington's Disease: Driving can be affected by progressive Huntington's Disease. Dr. Daniel Cox, from the Departments of Psychiatric Medicine and Internal Medicine, is investigating the effects of HD on driving. He is recruiting individuals with HD who:

  • have been diagnosed with HD for at least a year,
  • are currently driving,
  • either have had no moving vehicle violations since the diagnosis of HD, OR have had two or more moving vehicle violations since the diagnosis of HD, AND
  • do not suffer from either motion sickness or car sickness.

Individuals who are interested in participating will be asked to donate about one hour of time to drive a driving simulator and answer some questions about driving habits. In exchange for their contribution, they will learn their driving scores relative to others, and they will receive a UVA driving mug. All results will be confidential. For questions and appointments to participate in the study, please call the Behavioral Medicine Center at 924-5314; toll-free long distance number is 1-800-251-3627, ext. 4-5314.