Huntington's Disease: A Case Study Essay

Huntington's Disease is a genetic autosomal disorder which effects the brain. It affects about 1 in 20,000 individuals. The symptoms of the disease do not start to occur until after or around 40 years of age. With the onset of the disease the patient starts to gradually deteriorate intellectually, this deterioration also causes involuntary movements. Scientists have only recently found the section of the gene which causes Huntington's disease, and this is allowed them to devise pre-symptomatic tests. However, a cure for the disease is yet to be found.

First, I am not ready to know the future. It may be true that knowing the generic results could help to plan the future like long -term finances, getting married, and having a baby. However, having the test will be interrupt my life, and my mind will be thinking about it all the time. I will not be happy, and I will just waiting for the moment to come. Knowing if the result is positive will be a nightmare, so I prefer to enjoy the life. In the article “Closing the Lion’s Mount: Knowledge and Huntington’s disease”, author Sandra Kostyk quotes a woman who has Huntington 's Disease

Huntington’s disease may be irreversible but it can be treated with proper treatment may slow down the effects of the disease and medical attention. In children who have symptoms of Huntington’s disease, some of the symptoms would be a rapid deteriorating in school performance, lack of swift movements, behavior changes etc...

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological brain disorder. Brains have neurotransmitters called dopamine and people with Parkinson’s gradually stop producing it. This causes a decline in in their ability to manage their body movements and emotions. Parkinson is classified in 5 stages and its symptoms are also similar to Lewy Body (“What is Parkinson's”). The four main motor symptoms of Dementia are slowness of movement, also called bradykinesia, involuntary shaking, or tremor at rest, stiffness of arms and legs, trouble with balance and falls, also called postural instability, said by the National Parkinson’s Foundation (“Motor Symptoms”). Huntington's is an inherited disease caused by degenerative cells in your brain and spinal cord. Symptoms greatly affect the person's thinking and movement ability. Other symptoms include behavior changes, memory loss, and sometimes obsessive-compulsive behavior. People develop this disease at the early ages of thier 30’s and 40’s but some can develop it as early as their 20’s this is called juvenile Huntington's Disease (“Huntington’s Disease”). Although this paper has discussed the 6 most common forms of dementia there are a few rarer types called Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Korsakoff's

Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a genetic disorder in which the necrosis of cells in the brain causes early death [9]. The neurodegeneration of the brain leads to mechanical and psychological symptoms, which can present normally from 30 to 50 years of age or even earlier, which is referred to as Juvenile Huntington’s Disease [3,5,6]. Some mechanical symptoms of HD are change in gait, uncontrolled or sudden movement, abnormal face movement, turning the whole head instead of using the eyes, difficulty swallowing, impairment of speech and general decrease of motor skills [1]. Psychological symptoms include but are not limited to paranoia, irritability, mood swings, changes in behavior such as agitation or instability and

Though observed and noted for several hundred years in various forms, Huntington 's Disease has only been recognized by modern medicine

It is a black and white test, either they would be positive or negative. A year ago, my good friend Chloe and her sister decided to have genetic testing to discern if they had Huntington’s disease. Their father had Huntington’s disease and it was a devastating experience. Their father was in the middle stage, he had a wobbly, spasmodic walk, spontaneous movements and his cognitive capabilities were waning. Chloe was negative, but her sister was positive. Watching my friends undergo testing and listening about their father revealed to me how Huntington’s disease has extensive emotional, social, and mental impact on the patients and their families. Chloe’s father experienced

Some other problems that Huntington’s disease may also cause deals with some psychiatric disorders. According to Huntington-Study-Group.org, “Depression is very common in HD, very treatable, and may precede the onset of other signs and symptoms of the illness. Severe depression may even lead to suicide attempts in a few individuals.” It’s very good that the depression disorder is easily treatable because someone with Huntington’s disease does not need something else like depression holding them down from life like all the rest of the symptoms already do. The website also says that “other psychiatric difficulties seen in some people with HD include anxiety, obsessiveness, irritability, impulsiveness, social withdrawal, and trouble initiating activity. A few individuals with HD may have aggressive outbursts or even psychosis (hallucinations or delusions).”

Huntington’s Disease is caused by a defective gene inherited from the parents, carried on chromosome 4. It is responsible for making ‘huntingtin’. Basically, it means that certain proteins needed to make brain chemicals are unable to make them in your brain as normal. This leads to damage and the death of some brain cells, called neurons, in the basal ganglia and the cortex, located in the brain. This leads to Huntington disease, and a buildup of dopamine, a chemical that is produced to make you feel good, contributes to the problem.

Imagine not remembering the names of your family members, having difficulty swallowing, not being able to control your movements. Imagine being trapped in a body that is turning against you, slowly deteriorating around you and you are helpless to stop it. This is the very real and terrifying reality for those with Huntington’s disease. “Many describe the symptoms of HD as having ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s – simultaneously.” This disease isn’t picky, it devastates the families of people from all races or ethnic groups around the world, and a person’s sex isn’t an issue. “Huntington’s disease is a fatal genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain.” This disease is passed from

Huntington’s disease is a fatal genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain and eventually causes death. It is caused by a mutation in a gene that is responsible for producing the huntingtin protein. Over a period of time, physical and mental abilities gradually deteriorate, and there is currently

Huntington’s disease (HD) is monogenic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor, cognitive and psychiatric abnormalities. It consists of two types: adult onset and juvenile onset. The most common form is adult onset in which a person’s symptoms usually occur between 35-44 years old with a mean survival time of 15-20 years after onset, while the less common form known as the juvenile form begins in adolescence with a mean survival time of 10-15 years after onset.1

Pathophysiology: HD causes atrophy of the striatum and cerebral cortex of the brain (John Hopkins University, 2015). Scientists do not know how HD demyelinates nerve cells (John Hopkins University, 2015). HD’s pathophysiology is still not clear among medical professionals and researchers. The Division of Neuropathology at John Hopkins University reports, “As valuable as they are, animal and cell models of HD are not enough on themselves to unravel the pathogenesis of HD and discover an effective treatment” (para. 1).

That is; a tissue loss in the caudate/putamen area, but is ancillary to dopamine distribution of nerves from neurons coming from the substantia nigra-pc. Huntington’s disease (HD) is an uncommon genetic disorder that at first appears as restlessness and fidgeting. Cognitive and psychological changes may lead to the individual being misdiagnosed as mental illness. As the disease progresses, choreform movements become apparent to the point where typical movements such as talking and walking, become affected. Loss of tissue in several areas of the cortex is involved which speak to the cognitive and psychological changes that are more conspicuous.

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited disease that leads to the breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. HD affects a person both physically and mentally. Some symptoms include personality change, depression, forgetfulness, unsteady gait, involuntary jerking, slurred speech, and difficulty in swallowing. HD is considered a late on set disorder, because people don’t show symptoms until their 30’s or 40’s (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014). HD progressively gets worse and worse and has 3 different stages. The early stage of HD includes changes in coordination, involuntary movements, difficulty thinking through situations, and a depressed mood. In the middle stage of HD, the person will struggle more moving, thinking and reasoning will go down hill quickly and problems talking and swallowing will become worse. The late stage of HD is when it really gets bad, the person becomes fully reliant on someone else and choking becomes a major issue. The person will not be able to speak or walk in the late stage. Medications can be taken to help manage symptoms, but treatments can’t stop the mental and physical breakdown of the person. Speech therapy can help with speech and swallowing and occupational therapy can be helpful in learning to deal with movement issues. Exercise is also very helpful (Huntington’s Disease Society of America, n.d).