Within the field of neuroscience, a new illness stage called the “prodrome” is being characterized. The prodrome is a symptomatic period that precedes an official diagnosis. Huntington Disease (HD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder that has an extensively researched prodrome marked by psychiatric and cognitive symptoms. This paper provides a sociological investigation of the prodrome by analyzing 24 interviews with individuals with HD and 14 interviews with informal caregivers. I find that substantial disadvantages accompany the prodromal phase of HD, with the prodrome connected to: (1) inability to access healthcare, (2) inability to access health resources, (3) the depletion of personal resources, and (4) caregiver burden. Documentation of such disadvantages is important as prodromal phases are connected to a growing number of conditions. Study findings are discussed in relation to medicalization, as well as the tension between medical ambiguity and the organization of health institutions.

在神经科学领域，一个新的疾病阶段被称为“ prodrome”。前兆是官方诊断之前的症状时期。亨廷顿舞蹈病（HD）是一种神经精神疾病，具有以精神病和认知症状为特征的经过广泛研究的前庭。本文通过对24位HD患者的访谈和14位非正式护理人员的访谈进行分析，从而对该病进行了社会学调查。我发现，HD的前驱阶段伴随着严重的不利因素，该疾病与以下方面有关：（1）无法获得医疗保健，（2）无法获得医疗资源，（3）个人资源枯竭，以及（4）照顾者负担。由于前驱阶段与越来越多的情况相关，因此记录这些缺点非常重要。