Huntington's

(pl and jh) **1**. Our genetic disorder is **Huntington's Disease.** **2**. Huntington's Disease is a familial disease, passed from parent to child through a mutation in the normal gene. Unlike many other genetic disorders, Huntington's is passed down as a dominant allele.
 * Huntington's Disease **


 * 3. Description:** Some of the early symptoms of Huntington's are mood swings, irrability, and depression. As time progresses, the disease's effects begin to become more and more prevelant. The person may have problems concentrating on tasks and can have probelms feeding himself or herself. Most times the disease is not even known in a person until they begin to show symptoms for it in their 30's. Tests can be performed on people once they reach 18 years old to determine if they have the disease.


 * 4. Diagnosis:** To determine if a person has Huntington's, a person's family history is first examined. That is followed by a physical examination which includes a neurological test and additional lab test. The doctor will also ask the patient if they have shown any signs of the symptoms, especially if they have had changes in intellectual or emotional behavior or function. They could take a blood sample from you to see if you have inherited the disorder.


 * 5. Prognosis:** At the current time the outlook is rather grim for people with Huntington's Disease. Presently there is no way to reverse the affects or even slow them down. Scientists are continuing research on the gene hoping for a better understanding of the gene's affect on the human body. However, some symptoms, such as spontanious bowel movements and behavior changes, can be controlled and reduced with the aid of medicine.

b. Even though most of the cases of Huntington's involve adults, about one-sixth of all cases are jueveniles. c. People of Asian descent have the lowest chance of getting the disease. About one out of every 100,000 people of Asian descent develop the disease.
 * 6. Treatment:** Today, the emphasis for people with Huntington's is to have a positive life. People are urged to have a good diet that includes supplements, get lots of exercise, and to have spiritual and psychosocial help. People with Huntington's that do those things tend to develop the symptoms later in life and are able to live longer. Also, foods that nourish the brain are especially recommend for people with Huntington's.
 * 7. Statistics**: a. Approximately 30,000 people in the United States have Huntington's Disease.

b. Huntington's Disease is also called Huntington's chorea. Chorea comes from the Greek word "chorea" which means "dance." This refers to the jerky motions that are displayed by people with the disorder. c. Men and women are affected evenly by this disease because it is not an X-linked recessive disorder d. Help is out there for people with Huntington's from the HDSA (Huntington's Disease Society of America). They are a nonprofit organization started in started in 1977 which studies the disease and helps families with this disease. They have high hopes for creating a cure in the near future.
 * 8. Other information:** a. Huntington's Disease is named for George Huntington who first documented the disorder in 1872.

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