Huntington's Disease

Huntington's disease is found on the 4TH chromosome. It is INHERITED if one or both of your parents have the dominant allele, then you would either have a 25% of having it or a 75% of having it (only depending if one or both of your parents has it). It gets passed down from family to family and either begins in the middle of your life, 40-50, or in the childhood of your life. The CAUSE of it is when both of or one of your parents has the disease. This als determines which type of Huntington's disease you would get. The two types are EARLY-ONSET or ADULT-ONSET untington's disease. The CAG gene is usually repeated 10-28 times, but in Huntington's disease case it is repeated 36-120 times.

SYMPTOMS/SIGNS/DIAGNOSIS

- Behavioral disturbances

- Hallucinations

- Irritabality

- Moodiness

- Restlessness or fidgeting

- Paranoia

- Psycosis

- Abnormal reflexes

- Hesitant in speking or annunciation

TREATMENTS

- Dopamine blockers may help reduce abnormal behaviors

- Medicines such as amantadine and tetrabanazine control extra movements

PREVELENCE IN POPULATION/ LIFE EXPECTANCY

In about 100,ooo people 6 or 7 of them will have Huntington's disease worldwide. It is also more common in the western half of he world. For people who have this disease their life expectancy will be 15-20 years after they get it.