Thorough description of the disorder
Huntington’s disease is a genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to mental decline and behavioral symptoms. It breaks down nerve cells in the brain called neurons. Neurons are specially designed to transmit information. When neurons break down, the body can’t control all of its movements. The brain controls the entire body and when the nerves in the brain break down, it causes your body to glitch. This is why a person with this disease experiences muscle twitches and can’t control all of their movements. Huntington’s is caused by a mutation in the gene for a protein called Huntingtin. This is why the neurons break down.
Huntington’s disease is passed on by family members. Someone can …show more content…
It is not a sex or race specific disease, but it is more common in the white population. It affects about 1 in 10,000 Americans. (http://patient.info/health/huntingtons-disease-leaflet)
Modes of inheritance
Huntington’s disease is passed on from parents to child. Each child with a parent who has the disease has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the disease. If an individual does not have the disease they cannot pass it on to anyone else. Someone can only inherit the disease if one of their parents has the disease.
(http://www.medicinenet.com/huntington_disease/page2.htm)
Symptoms
Huntington's disease causes psychiatric, movement and thinking problems. Some movement problems include chorea (involuntary jerking or twitching), dystonia (muscle problems), abnormal eye function, bad posture and balance, and problems with swallowing and eating. There are also cognitive problems that include: difficulties learning new, difficulties organizing and focusing on task, not being able to process thoughts very well, and no flexibility in a schedule. Because of all the other systems of Huntington’s, psychiatric problems can also show. These problems can include: feelings of sadness, social withdrawal, loss of energy, suicidal thoughts or death.
Huntington’s disease is a genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to mental decline and behavioral symptoms. It breaks down nerve cells in the brain called neurons. Neurons are specially designed to transmit information. When neurons break down, the body can’t control all of its movements. The brain controls the entire body and when the nerves in the brain break down, it causes your body to glitch. This is why a person with this disease experiences muscle twitches and can’t control all of their movements. Huntington’s is caused by a mutation in the gene for a protein called Huntingtin. This is why the neurons break down.
Huntington’s disease is passed on by family members. Someone can …show more content…
It is not a sex or race specific disease, but it is more common in the white population. It affects about 1 in 10,000 Americans. (http://patient.info/health/huntingtons-disease-leaflet)
Modes of inheritance
Huntington’s disease is passed on from parents to child. Each child with a parent who has the disease has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the disease. If an individual does not have the disease they cannot pass it on to anyone else. Someone can only inherit the disease if one of their parents has the disease.
(http://www.medicinenet.com/huntington_disease/page2.htm)
Symptoms
Huntington's disease causes psychiatric, movement and thinking problems. Some movement problems include chorea (involuntary jerking or twitching), dystonia (muscle problems), abnormal eye function, bad posture and balance, and problems with swallowing and eating. There are also cognitive problems that include: difficulties learning new, difficulties organizing and focusing on task, not being able to process thoughts very well, and no flexibility in a schedule. Because of all the other systems of Huntington’s, psychiatric problems can also show. These problems can include: feelings of sadness, social withdrawal, loss of energy, suicidal thoughts or death.