Huntington’s Chorea A hereditary Neurodegenerative disease...

What is Huntington’s Chorea? Huntington’s Disease or HD is a progressive or degenerative brain disorder or also known as a

Neurodegenerative. Huntington’s slowly diminishes the ability think, walk, and talk.

Chorea are jerking motions which is a developed symptom of HD. HD slowly ruins the

nerves in your brain. As of the science right now Huntingtons is an incurable disease.

What causes it?

Huntington’s is caused by an abnormality of the 4th chromosome and HTT gene(makes huntingtin), and the

gene mutates,making a defective protein. This flawed gene holds the blueprint for the defective version of the protein

“huntingtin.” The Huntington gene defect also has 40 repeats of genetic code, unlike the normal gene that only

has 17-20 repetitions.

Who is it most common in?

Huntington’s disease affects an estimated 3 to 7 per 100,000 people of European ancestry. The disorder appears to be less common in some

other populations, including people of Japanese, Chinese, and African descent.

What parts of the body are affected?

Huntington’s affects you neurons(brain cells), eyes, and muscles by destroying the

interneuron,motor and sensory neurons.

What are the symptoms? The symptoms of Huntington’s are… ● Uncontrolled movement of the arms, legs, head, face and

upper body(chorea) ● Decline in thinking and reasoning skills, including memory,

concentration, judgment and ability to plan and organize● Alterations in mood, especially depression, and anxiety● Uncharacteristic anger and irritability● Obsessive-compulsive behavior, leading a person to repeat

the same question or activity over and over

When are the onset of symptoms?

Adult-onset Huntington’s disease, the most common form of this disorder usually appears in a person's thirties or

forties. Individuals with the adult-onset form of Huntington’s disease usually live about 15 to 20 years after

signs and symptoms begin.

What are the onset of symptoms?

A less common form of Huntington’s disease, known as the juvenile form begins in childhood or adolescence. Juvenile Huntington’s disease tends to progress more quickly than

the adult-onset form; affected individuals usually live 10 to 15 years after signs and symptoms appear.

What are the Exams or Tests

There exams or tests for Huntington’s Chorea are a test to see if you have the genetic mutation of gene HTT, and how many repeats are within

the HTT gene.

What are the treatments? There are no FDA approved drugs to treat Huntington’

s, but there are drugs in the clinical stage of testing. Doctors and researchers have broken down the disease

into it’s major symptoms and treat that way. Placebo has a physiological effect on the body, tricking it and seeming as the symptoms are going away. Exercising

has also shown strength in balance and neurons making the onset of symptoms longer.

What are treatments for Chorea?DR MELISSA CHRISTIANSON OCTOBER 29, 2012Deep brain stimulation - A procedure in which miniature electrodes that release pulses of electricity are implanted into the brain. This treatment may prove useful for reducing symptoms of uncontrollable movement known as chorea in patients with HD.-Atypical antipsychotic drugs also have been proven to help with Chorea

What are the treatments for OCD and irritability?

Experts recommend Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI’s) for obsessive compulsive movements/actions and mood

changes. SSRI’s include● Prozac● Celexa ● Luvox ● Zoloft ● Paxil

● Lexapro

How does Placebo help?Placebo is a medically ineffective treatment for a disease or other medical condition intended to deceive the recipient. Sometimes

patients given a placebo treatment will have a perceived or actual “improved” in a medical condition, a phenomenon commonly called the

placebo effect. ‘Placebos have been shown to work in about 30 percent of patients, and they've been used by doctors for ages. In fact, they were often the only

thing that a doctor could offer to relieve suffering, other than his or her attention and support. Some researchers believe that placebos simply evoke a psychological response. The act of taking them gives you an

improved sense of well-being.

What is an appropriate diet?An appropriate diet for Huntington’s Chorea is ● Avoid Tyramine foods (red-wine, aged cheese)

● Antioxidants (blueberries) ● Phytonutrients (Tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon, guava)● High Calorie Snacks ● Nutrient dense foods (Lobster)

Who discovered it? George Huntington was an American physician who contributed a clinical description of the disease that bears his name -Huntington's disease. Huntington described this condition in the first of only two scientific papers he ever wrote.

Bibliographyhttp://science.howstuffworks.com/life/placebo-effect.htmhttp://www.hdsa.org/images/content/1/1/11695.pdf