Huntington's Disease is distinguished by uncontrolled movements, loss of intellectual faculties and emotional disturbance. It is caused by genetically programmed degeneration of brain cells (neurons) in certain areas of the brain. A child has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the mutated gene. If a child does not inherit the HD gene, he or she will not develop the disease and cannot pass it to subsequent generations. A person who inherits the HD gene will sooner or later develop the disease.
Early symptoms include mood swings, depression, irritability or trouble driving, learning new things, remembering a fact, or making a decision.
Later symptoms include increasing difficulty with intellectual tasks, feeding and swallowing.
A genetic test along with a complete medical history, neurological tests and laboratory tests will help physicians diagnose Huntington's Disease.
A number of medications are available to help control emotional and movement problems associated with Huntington's Disease. Most of these medications have side effects including fatigue, restlessness or hyperexcitability.
It is recommended that people with Huntington's Disease maintain physical fitness. There is evidence that individuals who exercise and keep active tend to do better than those who do not.
At this time, there is no way to stop or reverse the course of Huntington's Disease. Now that the gene has been located, investigators are continuing to conduct research to better understand how it causes disease in the human body.