Huntingtons Disease

Huntingtons Disease is a genetic disorder affecting the brain. It is handed down in the genes and a child has a 50% probability of contracting the disease if their parent has it.

About Huntingtons Disease

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited (genetic) brain disorder that causes cells in specific parts of the brain to die. It develops in people who have inherited a larger than normal Huntingtin gene. The larger gene produces an abnormal protein that begins to kill brain cells during middle age. The HD gene is dominant, which means that each child born to a parent with Huntington’s disease has a 50% chance of sharing the same fate.

The diagnosis of Huntington’s Disease is done by examining the patient’s family history, by observing the patient’s symptoms and by having a DNA test done. A DNA test can also be done on patients that have a family history of Huntington’s Disease to see if they are asymptomatic and may develop the disease at a later time.

The symptoms of Huntington’s Disease include:

*Emotional turmoil such as depression, apathy and/or obsessive behavior
*Mental loss such as the inability to focus, think and recall and make decisions
*Physical deterioration such as weight loss, involuntary movements, diminished coordination, inability to walk, talk and/or swallow.

Huntington’s Disease leads to complete incapacitation and, eventually, death.

There is also a juvenile form of Huntington’s disease. It can occur in individuals as young as five years of age. When HD appears in someone under the age of 20 years, the illness is known as juvenile Huntington’s disease. Juvenile HD is characterized by a movement disorder which differs from that of affected adults.

At the moment there are no treatments that will slow down or stop the disease in humans. There are drugs that can help control problems with movement and to help treat the emotion turmoil symptoms.

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