Huntington'sDiesease-EmilyBarand

Huntington’s Disease **Description: **Huntington’s Disease is caused by a genetic defect on chromosome #4. It affects a person’s ability to think, talk, and move. This disease destroys the cells in the basal ganglia, which is the part of the brain that controls movement, emotion, and cognitive ability. **Inheritance: **Huntington’s Disease is passed on from the diseased parent to the offspring. A diseased parent has a 50% chance of passing Huntington’s Disease to its child. This disease is an autosomal dominant pattern. Anyone with an affected gene will eventually develop systems of Huntington’s Disease. **Pedigree Chart: **  **Symptoms: **There are many different symptoms of Huntington’s Disease. These symptoms are poor memory, depression, mood swings, lack of coordination, twitching, uncontrollable movements, difficulty walking, difficulty speaking, and difficulty swallowing. In the later stages of this genetic disorder people will need help with even the simplest tasks. People will generally being to show symptoms when they are 30-50 years of age. Huntington’s disease gradually becomes worse over time. **Diagnosis: **This disease can be diagnosed while the mother is pregnant and after birth. During the pregnancy there are two tests that can be taken. The doctors may take sample fluid from around the fetus. Also the doctors can take sample fetus cells from the placenta to decide if the child will be diseased. After birth there are a series or neurological and psychical test that can be conducted. Also there is a genetic test to confirm if the person has a Huntington’s Disease gene mutation. Although all of these tests will be able to tell if the person ahs the disease it will not be able to determine at what age the person will begin to show symptoms. **Treatment: **There is no cure for Huntington’s Disease. Although the treatments make the patient more confortable, they do not slow the progression of the disease. Medications help with depression, anxiety, and the involuntary movements. Both physical therapy and speech therapy can help an affected person deal with the consequences of Huntington’s Disease. **Interesting Facts: **Huntington’s Disease was named after Dr. George Huntington, who first discovered this disease in 1872. 1 in every 30,000 people in the U.S are diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease. learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/disorders/whataregd/hunt/index.html <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 115%;">www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001775
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 115%;">Support Groups: **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 115%;">Huntington’s Disease Society of America
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