Huntington+Disease

=By Julia Murray and Emma Batchelder = =Causes: = Huntington's disease is an autosomal, dominant genetic disorder that results from a mutation of the Huntington Gene (HTT), which is located on the short arm of chromosome 4.

= Pattern of Inheritance: =

Huntington’s is a single allele autosomal dominant disorder, because only one copy of the defective gene, inherated from one parent, is necessary to produce the disorder. = = = Characteristics of the Disorder: =

===Alternative names: Huntington’s Disease, Huntington’s Chorea, Huntington’s Disorder (HD). HD occurs in about 30,000 people in the US alone- that’s 1 in every 10,000 people, and m ost people begin to show symptoms between ages 50 and 69. === Traits/ behaviors:

= = = Treatments: =
 * mood swings
 * irritability
 * depression
 * difficulty feeding oneself and swallowing[[image:070422141755.jpg width="150" height="175" align="right"]]
 * trouble learning new things/ making decisions
 * emotional disturbance
 * dementia
 * anxiety
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">aggression
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">increased risk of addiction
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">can result in cardic fail

<span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Medications to help control emotional and movement issues and some drugs can be used to help reduce chorea, which is a common symptom of Huntington's disease. Psychiatric symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, can be treated with drugs used in the general population. It is extremely important for people with Huntington's disease to stay physically fit and active, and also to manage their diet and nutrition, especially as the disease progresses. = Prevention: =

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If there is a family history of Huntington’s, then genetic counseling may be a necessity before starting a family. Blood tests can determine the presence of Huntington’s. There is no prevention of Huntington’s because it is inherated by a genetic abnormality.

= Testing: = Huntington's disease can be <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">tested for using genetic testing through a blood test, which counts the numbers of CAG repeats in each <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//HTT// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> allele. A positive result is not necessarily a diagnosis, because symptoms may not onset for decades after testing and a negative result means that the person does not carry the gene and will not develop Huntington’s disease.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">References: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|__http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/huntington/huntington.htm__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|__**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntington%27s_disease**__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**http://www.medicinenet.com/huntington_disease/article.htm** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|__http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/huntingtons-disease/DS00401/DSECTION=prevention__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|__http://nervous-system.emedtv.com/huntington%27s-disease/huntington%27s-disease-statistics.htmlhttp://nervous-system.emedtv.com/huntington%27s-disease/huntington%27s-disease-statistics.html__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Picture Credits: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__http://www.radpod.org/2007/05/01/huntingtons-disease/__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__http://web.mit.edu/flybrain/littletonlab/HD.htm__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070422141755.htm__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.boncherry.com/blog/2011/01/27/huntingtons-disease-information-page/