Huntington’s disease is a chronic, genetic, progressive, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by involuntary muscle movements, deterioration of cognitive processes and memory (dementia).

It is caused by degeneration of the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia.

To get started, you’ll need to read: How Do You Get Dementia?

Causes of huntington's disease

Caused by a single defective gene on chromosome 4. This leads to nerve cell damage in the brain’s areas, including the basal ganglia and cerebral cortex.
This leads to the gradual onset of physical, mental, and emotional changes.
Transmitted as an autosomal dominant genetic disorder.
Mainly occur between 25 to 55 years

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Signs and symptoms of huntington's disease

Early symptoms:

Mild tremor
Clumsiness
Lack of concentration
Irritability
Short term memory problem
Mood changes
Depression

Must read this article: What Is Mood Disorder?: Types, Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment

Late symptoms fall into three categories

1.Movement problems

Slow or abnormal eye movements
Impaired gait, posture, and balance
Involuntary jerking or writhing movements (chorea)
Difficulty in speech or swallowing
Muscle problems, muscle contracture, and rigidity

2.Cognitive problems

Difficulty organizing or focusing on tasks
Lack of flexibility on thought, behavior, or action
Slowness in processing thoughts or ”finding” words
Difficulty in learning new information
Lack of impulse control

I have also covered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For ADHD Child in depth.

3.Psychiatric or mental problems

The signs and symptoms include

Feelings of irritability, sadness, or apathy
Social withdrawal
Insomnia
Fatigue and loss of energy
Frequent thoughts of death, dying, or suicide
Loss of memory
Personality changes

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How is huntington's disease inherited?

Huntington’s disorder is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder in which brain cells are damaged and die over time, beginning to progressive loss of mental and physical abilities.

Inheritance is also known as autosomal domaint. A person has pair of the gene, but one abnormal copy is enough to cause the disease. Children of an affected parent have a 45 to 50% chance of inheriting the gene’s abnormal copy, hence the disease.

Read: What Is A Brain Aneurysm?

Huntington's disease life expectancy

Life expectancy is generally around 10 to 20 years of visible symptoms. Most life-threatening complications result from muscle coordination with pulmonary aspiration, increasing pneumonia, being the most common cause of death in patients.

I also wrote an article on How To Treat Covid Pneumonia also you can read.

Diagnosis of huntington's ddisaeae

Neurological examination
CT SCAN and MRI
EEG
PET SCAN
Genetic counseling and testing

Management of huntingtion's disease

Initially, the treatment process starts with tests like brain imaging and computerized tomography (CT) scans. It helps us provide detailed pictures of brain structures and show which parts of the brain are affected by the disease. The test is also used to rule out other conditions that are associated with you.
One of the most critical procedures in the treatment of Huntington’s disease is genetic counseling.
There is a fifty-fifty chance to improve the condition with medicines as there are common side effects that may make the patient more suicidal.
Some medicines are used to suppress the involuntary movements that you experience and help improve your cognitive powers and help you have control over your body.
There is no cure treatment focused on minimizing symptoms.
Antipsychotic drugs, such as haloperidol (Haldol) and chlorpromazine, have side effects of suppressing movements.
Antidepressant for emotional disturbances
Anti parkinsonism such as levodopa for muscle movement.
Diazepam for anxiety and mood swings
mood-stabilizing drug.

You must read this article: What Is Anxiety Disorder?

Rehabilitation

Psychotherapy
Speech therapy
Physical therapy
Occupational therapy

I have already covered some therapy in depth:

Conclusion

Huntington’s disorder is an incurable and fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by movement problems and various other symptoms. Intelligent scientists work around the clock to develop treatments for the cure of disorder.

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How Is Huntington’s Disease Inherited?

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