Huntington's Disease (HD), also called Huntington's chorea,

Huntington's Disease is a muscle-related disease, "in which patients develop involuntary dance-like movements." (Rutgers Memory-Loss Glossary)

Cause

Huntington's Disease is genetic. It results from degeneration of the basal ganglia , which is important in voluntary movement.

Symptoms

Symptoms usually begin at middle age. At first, patients may feel depressed or irritable. They may show clumsiness, twitching, and later jerking and clumsy dancelike stips, it is obvious that even basic motor memory is no longer working like "normal." Memory loss usually comes later in the disease, after the twitches have developed, although this can vary from patient ot patient. This impairment will progress and eventually interfere with everyday functioniong and eventually leads to death.ok

Cure / Treatment

There is no cure for HD. So far, there is no standard treatment either. Tranquilizers may be used to control the involuntary movements and / or alleviate depression ("Huntington's Disease," 2000).

Prognosis

The average person with HD lives 15-20 years after onset. However, the disease progresses faster in those who develop the disease as children. ("Huntington's Disease," 2000)