Essay on Huntington's Disease

Huntington’s Disease is a brain disorder affecting movement, cognition, and emotions (Schoenstadt). It is a genetic disorder generally affecting people in their middle 30s and 40s (Sheth). Worldwide, Huntington’s disease (affects between 3-7 per 100,000 people of European ancestry (Schoenstadt). In the United States alone, 1 in every 30,000 people has Huntington’s disease (Genetic Learning Center). Huntington’s Disease is a multi-faceted disease, with a complex inheritance pattern and a wide range of symptoms. There is also much research being done in the field of Huntington’s disease, because as of 2012, this disease is untreatable. THESIS.

The genetic disorder is caused by a mutation in the DNA segment CAG found in chromosome 4 which results nerve cell death. Phenotypic characteristics include gradual motor dysfunction, psychological issues that correlate to degeneration of metal health, and cognitive degeneration. Studies on transgenic mice have allowed a better understanding of the proteins that relate to Huntington’s

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This disease is genetically inherited and is a dominant characteristic, therefore unfortunately the offspring of a victim has 50% chance of inheriting the disease.

Huntington's Disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant, progressive, neurodegenerative disorder (Walker, 2007 and Harmon, 2007). The gene that causes the disease is located on the fourth chromosome and causes an abnormal number of repeats in the patient's genetic code (Harmon, 2007). Huntington's Disease can have devastating effects on patients' quality of life. The first symptoms of HD generally start between the ages of 30 and 45 and patients are typically asymptomatic prior to this time (Terrenoire, 1992 and Walker, 2007). However, the disease progresses with subtle changes in motor control, personality, and cognition. Patients eventually develop distinct

Huntington's Disease is a devastating and progressive neurological disorder that resu lts primarily from degeneration of nerve cells deep in the center of the brain. The condition was first described by George Huntington, a physician in New York, in 1872. Even then, the physician recognized the all-encompassing factors of the disorder when describing it as, "coming on gradually but surely, increasing by degrees, and often occupying years in its development until the hapless sufferer is but a quivering wreck of his former self".

Huntington’s disease is a degenerative neurological disorder affecting movement, cognition, and emotional state (Schoenstadt). There are two forms of Huntington’s disease (Sheth). The most common is adult-onset Huntington’s disease, with persons usually developing symptoms in their middle 30s and 40s (Sheth). There is an early onset form of Huntington’s disease, beginning in childhood or adolescence, and makes up a small percentage of the Huntington’s population (Sheth). Huntington’s disease is a genetic disorder with a short history, a plethora of symptoms, and devastating consequences, with no current cure in sight.

Huntington’s disease destroys the organs that carry the functions of the central nervous system. Kalat (2013) states, “Huntington disease (also known as Huntington disease or Huntington’s Chorea) is a severe neurological disorder that strikes about 1 person in 10,000 in the United States” (A.B. Young, 1995, p. 258).Individual’s develop the symptoms in their middle age, but even if it is a rare disorders juveniles as well as children before the age of ten can develop the disease. Huntington’s disease is hereditary disease that is passed on from a parent. Huntington’s disease is of the lack of the chromosome 4, if one of the parents carries the gene, they can pass that gene to their

An increase in the size of the CAG segment leads to the production of an abnormally long version of the huntington protein. The elongated protein is cut into smaller, toxic fragments that bind together and accumulate in neurons, disrupting the normal functions of these cells. The dysfunction and eventual death of neurons in certain areas of the brain underlie the signs and symptoms of Huntington

Huntington's disease is an inherited genetic disease which can’t be cured. (Staff, M. C , 2014) Huntington's disease is caused by an inherited defect in a single gene. A parent with a defective Huntington gene could pass along the defective copy of the gene or the healthy copy. Each child in the family, therefore, has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the gene that causes the genetic disorder.Huntington’s disease has a broad impact on a patients’ functional abilities and thinking and psychiatric disorders. They get involuntary jerking or writing movements (chorea), have difficulty organizing tasks and learning new things. (Staff, M. C , 2014) Patients act like the girl in Andersen’s fairy tales

This disease is inherited from parents, and it is dominant, meaning only one copy of the gene is needed to develop this disorder. It is extremely rare and it affects less than 0.01% of people of European ancestry. See figure 2 for heredity patterns.

Huntington's disease is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. The child of an affected parent has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease. The discovery of the HD gene in 1993 has made it possible to test at-risk individuals for Huntington's disease before symptoms occur.

Huntington's Disease: This type of dementia is caused by a blemished gene on chromosome four.

gene pool has been traced back to the 1800's to a woman named Maria Concepcion.

This disease is an inherited brain disorder with a dominant allele. Therefore, if one parent has this brain disorder then there is a 50% chance that it will be inherited to their children. Huntington disease is the death of brain