Huntington’s disease review

Posted 5 months, 1 week ago at 4:55 pm. 0 comments

Neurologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other investigators are improving our understanding of the symptoms and progression of the disease in patients while attempting to develop new therapeutics.
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.
There is no cure. Medicines can help manage some of the symptoms, but cannot slow down or stop the disease.
It is important to realize that the disease affects everyone differently. The number of CAG repeats may determine the severity of symptoms. Persons with few repeats may have mild abnormal movements later in life and slow disease progression, while those with a large number of repeats may be severely affected at a young age.