A COE wants my husband who has HD to be part of the Cohort study. They also want me to participate as his family member.

I am just curious - how can my participation as an active participant help in a HD study? I can understand where a sibling or child of a HD
person could help but just wondering how my being an acutal part of the study would help.

They need totally non-affected people as "controls" to compare them to affected people.

My wife is a control for me in COHORT at Wake Forest. A spuse is a good control because we eat the same food, breathe the same air, drink the same water, etc. The only difference is the HD gene. I have it and she doesn't.

Will

Will , I would say your wife has a little extra stress , it is her side-kick...db

That's cute, db... (smile)

Heehee. She's good at handling me. This is the second marriage for both of us. We're past 25 years now. She arrived at our marriage with her own tool box that was better equipped than mine. Such a woman is not to be trifled with. :-)

Will