HUNTINGTON'S CHOREA
What is Huntington's Chorea?
Huntington's Chorea, also known as Huntington's disease (HD), results from genetically programmed
degeneration of brain cells, called neurons, in certain areas
of the brain. This degeneration causes uncontrolled movements,
loss of intellectual faculties, and emotional disturbance. HD
is a familial disease, passed from parent to child through a
mutation in the normal gene.
Some early symptoms of HD are:
- mood swings
- depression
- irritability or trouble driving
- learning new things
- remembering a fact
- or making a decision
As the disease progresses, concentration on intellectual tasks becomes increasingly difficult and the patient may have difficulty feeding himself or herself and swallowing. The rate of disease progression and the age of onset vary from person to person. A genetic test, coupled with a complete medical history and neurological and laboratory tests, help physician's diagnose HD. Presymptomic testing is available for individuals who are at risk for carrying the HD gene. In 1 to 3 percent of individuals with HD, no family history of HD can be found.
What is the Treatment for Huntington's Disease?
Physicians prescribe a number of medications to help control emotional and movement problems associated with HD. Most drugs used to treat the symptoms of HD have side effects such as fatigue, restlessness, or hyperexcitability. It is extremely important for people with HD to maintain physical fitness as much as possible, as individuals who exercise and keep active tend to do better than those who do not.
What is the Prognosis?
At this time, there is no way to stop or reverse the course of HD. Now that the HD gene has been located, investigators are continuing to study the HD gene with an eye toward understanding how it cause disease in the human body.
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