Relation of occupational stress to the age at onset of Huntington's disease

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Abstract
Two hypotheses were tested to determine whether occupational stress was related to the age at onset of Huntington''s disease. Using case material drawn from 4 kindreds in southern Norway, occupations of affected persons were graded into 3 categories according to their degree of physical stress. Adjusting for the effects of related factors, grade of stress was a significant contributor to the variation in onset age. Minor and severe stress were associated with earlier onset ages than moderate stress; the difference between minor and moderate grades was 9 yr. The results are interpreted as conforming to the psychosocial concept of Levi, whereby both under- and overstimulation of sensory functions are more stressful and more potent precipitants of illness than intermediate levels of stimulation.