What is Huntington Disease and Symptoms?
Huntington’s disease (HD), also known as Huntington’s chorea, is a progressive, genetic neurodegenerative disorder that affects the brain. It is characterized by a triad of symptoms: movement abnormalities (chorea), cognitive decline, and psychiatric disturbances. Huntington’s disease is caused by an inherited mutation in the huntingtin gene, which leads to the production of a toxic protein that damages nerve cells in the brain.
Huntington’s disease is an autosomal dominant disorder, which means that a person needs to inherit only one copy of the mutated gene to develop the disease. If one parent has the mutated gene, each of their children has a 50% chance of inheriting it.
Key aspects of Huntington’s disease include:
- Movement Abnormalities (Chorea): Chorea refers to involuntary, jerky, and uncontrolled movements that affect various parts of the body. These movements may start subtly with fidgeting or restlessness and progress to more pronounced choreic movements, including flailing limbs, facial grimacing, and difficulty with coordination and balance.
- Cognitive Decline: Huntington’s disease gradually impairs cognitive functions, including memory, reasoning, problem-solving, and concentration. Individuals with Huntington’s disease may experience difficulties with decision-making, organizing tasks, and planning. As the disease progresses, cognitive abilities continue to decline, leading to profound impairment.
- Psychiatric Symptoms: Emotional and psychiatric disturbances are common in Huntington’s disease. These can include depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings, apathy, and social withdrawal. Personality changes, such as impulsivity, disinhibition, and aggression, may also occur.
The symptoms of Huntington’s disease can vary greatly from person to person, and can be divided into three categories: motor symptoms, cognitive symptoms, and psychiatric symptoms.
Symptoms of Huntington Disease:
1. Motor symptoms:
- Involuntary movements, such as jerking, twitching, or writhing
- Difficulty with coordination and balance
- Problems with walking, speaking, and swallowing
- Rigidity or stiffness in the muscles
- Impaired fine motor skills, such as writing or using utensils
2. Cognitive symptoms:
- Impaired memory and difficulty with concentration
- Problems with decision-making and problem-solving
- Difficulty with processing information and learning new things
- Impaired perception, such as difficulty recognizing familiar faces or objects
3. Psychiatric symptoms:
- Depression, anxiety, and irritability
- Social withdrawal and isolation
- Apathy and loss of motivation
- Changes in personality, such as aggression, impulsivity, or lack of empathy
- Psychosis, including delusions and hallucinations
Huntington’s disease Treatment:
Although there is currently no cure for Huntington’s disease, various interventions and treatments aim to manage symptoms and improve quality of life. Medications may be prescribed to help control movement symptoms, manage psychiatric symptoms, and address other associated conditions. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy can assist in maintaining functionality and addressing specific challenges.
P home care provides Respite, SIL, Community Access, Support Coordination, STA, and more. P Home care offers a chance for community participation that helps exceptional people involved in social exercise and be a part of the community.
As a registered NDIS provider, Philips Home Care serves individuals across the country including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast-Tweed Heads, Canberra-Queanbeyan, Newcastle, Central Coast, Wollongong, Sunshine Coast, Geelong, Townsville, Hobart, Cairns, Toowoomba, Darwin, and Alice Springs.
At P home care, our nursing support services are tailored to meet your unique healthcare needs. With our skilled and compassionate nursing team, we provide individualized care, medication management, wound care, chronic disease management, 24/7 care, post-operative care, health monitoring, and support during palliative or end-of-life stages. Your well-being is our top priority, and we are committed to delivering exceptional care every step of the way. Contact us today to learn more about our nursing support services and how we can assist you on your healthcare journey.
Should you have any questions or wish to discuss our services in greater detail, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. You can contact us at 1800 571 955 or via email at ndis@phomecare.com.au
Rest assured, we are here to support you every step of the way, providing the highest standard of care.
| 1. What is Huntington’s Disease and what causes it? | Huntington’s Disease is an inherited condition that affects the nervous system, caused by a faulty gene passed from parent to child. The faulty gene leads to progressive damage in the brain, resulting in physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms. It is autosomal dominant, meaning each child of an affected parent has a 50% chance of inheriting the gene123. |
| 2. What are the symptoms and how is it managed? | Symptoms typically appear between ages 30 and 50 and include involuntary movements (chorea), loss of coordination, difficulty swallowing, mood changes, and cognitive decline. There is no cure, but symptoms can be managed with medications, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and mental health support. A multidisciplinary team often helps with care, and support is available for both patients and carers142. |
| 3. How can I find out if I have inherited the Huntington’s gene? | If you have a family history of Huntington’s Disease, you can access genetic testing (predictive or presymptomatic testing) through a genetic counselling service. Testing is covered by Medicare in Australia and requires a referral from your GP. Genetic counselling is recommended to help you understand the implications before and after testing |
Add Comment