An inherited disease due to a defective gene on the short arm of chromosome 4. It results in loss of motor control and mental deterioration. Symptoms frequently do not appear until after reproductive age, meaning the defective gene may already have been passed on to offspring when symptoms develop.
An autosomal dominant genetic disorder that causes neurological degeneration beginning in middle age and is ultimately fatal. Symptoms include involuntary movements, loss of intellectual faculties, mood swings and forgetfulness. Because the mutation is dominant, a person with Huntington disease has a 50 percent chance of having a child with the disease.
An inherited disease that affects brain cells. Mild symptoms, which include forgetfulness, clumsiness and personality changes first appear in middle age. Over the next 10 -20 years, a person with HD gradually loses all control of their mental and physical abilities.
is an hereditary disorder characterized by mental and physical deterioration that ultimately leads to death. It is sometimes referred to as Hungtinton's chorea due to the involuntary rapid movement of limbs (chorea), which are a symptom of the disease. The characteristic symptoms of the disease are caused by loss of neurons (nerve cells) in the brain. Huntington's is caused by a faulty gene known as HD, which is located on chromosome 4. Diagnosis is by genetic testing. Currently, there is no cure, although medication may be used to control symptoms of the illness.