Huntington's Disease
By: Maria Grimes
What is Huntington's Disease-
It is a heredity disease marked by the degeneration of the brain cells and causing chorea and progressive dementia. It cause the nerve cells in the brain to waste away.
You are born with the defective gene but do not experience symptoms until middle age. The thing that is affected the most is the basal ganglia.
The early symptoms include uncontrolled movements, clumsiness or balance problems
Later symptoms may include the ability to not walk talk or swallow some may experience memory loss.
You are born with the defective gene but do not experience symptoms until middle age. The thing that is affected the most is the basal ganglia.
The early symptoms include uncontrolled movements, clumsiness or balance problems
Later symptoms may include the ability to not walk talk or swallow some may experience memory loss.
Brain loss
The brain on the left shows the brain before the disease started to take over the body. The brain on the right shows the loss of brain mass. The area that is white is the brain mass.
The Chromosomes
This is the picture of the cells. The ones on the bottom are the ones that have the disease. The one on the top show the healthy cells that won't have the disease.
Most Affected
The Ganglia processes all of the movements that the body does. So if the disease attacks this are of the brain the movements of a patient are slowed and when started they tremble.
Causes
The main thing is that you can't do anything about it. You are born with it. It happens when one abnormal cell produces HD. It is passed from the parent to the child or by a misspelling in the normal gene.
Testing/Treatment
If you wish to be tested there would be many steps. You would need to contact your doctor and then they would get you started. You may have to go to counseling so that you are prepared for the outcome. If you would still be interested then they would do a presymptomatic test which is a blood test. They may also ask that the infected relative take the test as well so that they could compare the test results. If the parents have had history of the disease in their family they could have prenatal testing done to see if the baby would contract it as well.
There is no real treatment because it occurs in the gene there is no cure. The doctor can give the patient medicine to control emotional and movement problems associated with HD. However the patient needs to keep in mind that the medicine will control the symptoms but it won't stop or reverse them.
There is no real treatment because it occurs in the gene there is no cure. The doctor can give the patient medicine to control emotional and movement problems associated with HD. However the patient needs to keep in mind that the medicine will control the symptoms but it won't stop or reverse them.
Life Out-look
The affected person will always need someone to help them throughout their life. The caregiver will need to make sure that they keep them physically active and that they help them eat and try to make their life as normal as possible. The illness may last 10 to 30 years.
Complications
There are many effects such as severe mood swings in the early stages of the disease. The disease can get to the pint where speech is slurred and vital functions like swallowing, eating, speaking, and especially walking decline.
Preventions
The only way to prevent from passing the gene on is to talk to a genetic counselor on ways to still have a baby without passing it on. These could be in vitro fertilization.
Works Cited
www.medicinenet.com/huntington_disease/article.htm
www.mayoclinic.com/health/huntingtons-disease/DS00401/DSECTION=prevention