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Huntingtons Disease
Genetic Testing During genetic testing, blood is taken and anazlyzed to determine if the gene for HD is present. Only those over the age of 18 may be tested for HD unless they are exhibting symptoms of the disorder. This test cannot provide an age of onset, it can only confirm that an individual has or does not have the HD gene. It has been said that although there may be some correlation between the number of times the CAG is repeated and the age of onset, it is impossible to know exactly when the disease will begin to manifest itself.
Symptoms Some behavioral symptoms for HD include, depression, anxiety, agressive outburts, moodswings, social withdrawal and irritability. Some motor and cognitive symptoms include fidgety behavior, uncoordination, involuntary movements, problems with short term memory, and difficulties with speech, swallowing, walking., and balance..............
Treatment -In August 2008 the US Food and Drug Administration approved tetrabenazine to treat the symptoms of Huntington's Chorea, but nothing has been found to slow or stop the disease. -It is extremely important for people with HD to maintain physical fitness as much as possible. Those who tend to exercise tend to do better than those who do not.
How is it Inherited Each parent has two copies of every chromosome but gives only one copy to each child. Each child of an HD parent has a 50-50 chance of inheriting the HD gene. If a child does not inherit the HD gene, he or she will not develop the disease and cannot pass it on. A person who inherits the HD gene, and survives long enough, will sooner or later develop the disease. A small small number of cases of HD are sporadic, meaning they occur with no family history.
by Olivia Cookfair
Research The research that is currently being done for HD includes, basic neurobiology, clinical research, imaging, animal modeling, and fetal tissue research. These areas of research are slowly converging and, in the process, are yielding important clues about the gene's relentless destruction of mind and body.
Woody Guthrie Singer- This Land is Your Land
Ethical Issues Through genetic testing, not only does the test affect the person, it affects the generations of family before and after them. If a daughter finds out she has HD, one parent automatically knows they must, whether or not they want to know. Learning that you have HD casts a shadow over the rest of your life. Is testing worth it?
Quality of Life Although there is not much research being done now, many believe there is much to research. First, we must research and educate people on how to deal with the softer symptoms of HD. Second, we must research how to get resources and medication to treat these softer symptoms. This may decrease the amount of suicides in people who have HD. For, the softer symptoms are said to be the most devasating ones.
