Huntington's+Disease

 =__Huntington's Disease __=


 * Introduction**

Seeing first hand the effects of Huntington's Disease, I didn't hesitate to choose it as the subject matter to write on. Tom Miller is our good family friend. He was the best man at my parents' wedding, my little sister's godfather and a large component in a lot of my dad's stories. He's always been a huge part of our lives. Tom's father developed Huntington's disease late in his life. Odds were high that one of his three boys would have it too. When neither of Tom's brothers developed any symptoms, it seemed inevitable Tom would have inherited the disease. Around his 40th birthday, Tom's symptoms began to show up. In December of this year, we visited Tom and his wife. The charismatic, comedic friend that we were used to seeing seemed changed. He wasn't cracking jokes or going on about how terrible the '49ers are this year. His speech was slurred and hard to understand, his body moved around in a random dance-like fashion. The sight broke my heart.  In the brain, nuerons gentically degenerate. This causes Huntington's Disease. Following the degeneration, uncontrollable movements, emotional disturbance and loss of intellecualy faculties all result. The basal ganglia are specifically affected. These are found deep within the brain. They are in charge of coordinating movement and other important functions. Neurons of the striatum, found within the basal ganglia, including caudate nucle and the pallidum are targeted by HD. The cortex, or outer surface os affected. The cortex controls thought, perception and memory.

As a genetic disorder, children have a 50/50 chance from getting it if their parent has it. Huntington's is present since birth but side effects don't show up until later in life, worsening each decade. Age 40 is usually the height of the disease. A parent with HD must be aware of the large possibility of their child having the disease and making their life choices accordingly.

There is no known cure for Huntington's Disease. With the fatal disease affecting approximately 30,000 people in the United States, or one in every 10,000 Americans, scientists continue to have hope. There is not even medicine developed to slow down the progress. Currently, rodents are being bred, and have had implanted fetal tissue into them to further discover treatment for Huntington’s. They have high hopes that through these studies involving laboratory animals, they can receive a better understanding on the causes and effects of Huntington’s. Symptom treatment is all researchers can do at the moment. Doctors prescribe physical and speech therapy so that the patient never has to be fully dependent on others.

The most noticeable symptom of HD is the uncontrollable movements. These movements are referred to as "dance-like" hence the original name for the disease, chorea. This stops a person from doing the simplest tasks and makes them entirely dependent on other people. These movements become more severe and frequent as the disease progresses. Symptoms of Huntington's affect not only the body but also the brain. Retaining and processing information and speech may all become difficult. Moreover, psychological problems such as irritability, aggression and anxiety may arise. Patients may also be prone to sudden out bursts and commonly, sink into a pit of depression. Huntington's usually lasts 10-30 years.