Huntington+Disease

Gene that produces Huntington's is on chromosome 4. This disease isn't sex-linked; it's inherited.
 * CAUSES**: Huntington's Disease results from a genetically programmed degeneration of nerve cells. Causes uncontrolled movements, loss of intellectual faculties and emotional disturbance.
 * PATTERN OF INHERITANCE**: Huntington's Disease is Autosomal Dominance Inheritance. The inheritance is independent of the gender, and the phenotype doesn't skip generation. The Probability of each offspring inheriting the disease is 50%.
 * OTHER NAMES:** Huntington's Chorea (HD)[[image:chart1.gif width="364" height="176" align="right"]]
 * FREQUENCY:** 3 to 7 per 100,000 people in the U.S. inherit the disease.
 * CHARACTERISTICS:** Clumsiness, jaw clenching, loss of coordination and balance, slurred speech, swallowing and eating difficulty, uncontrolled muscular contractions, and walking difficulty. Huntington's Disease is a fatal disorder; people usually die within 15-20 years of getting it.
 * TREATMENTS:** There is no cure or known ways to prevent the disease. Dopamine blockers can help reduce behaviors. Other drugs, like haloperidol, are used to control extra movements.
 * PREVENTION:** There are no preventions from the disease, it is inherited. If there is a family history of the disease, then there is a possibility a child will get it. Genetic counseling is recommended.
 * TESTING:** A neurological exam will be done to detect the disease, and a head CT scan shows loss of brain tissue[[image:18huntington.graphic.sub.jpg width="935" height="289"]]

**CITATIONS:**
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus www.ncbi.nih.gov/pubmed http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/03/18/us/20070318_HUNTINGTON_GRAPHIC_SUB.html www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntingtons_Disease