Huntingtons

Disease
by: Samantha Farewell &
Lara Keskin

Discovery
Huntingtons disease was discovered by George Huntington in 1872. He gave the
first complete description of the disease based on his studies of several generations
of one family who exhibited similar symptoms.

Parts of the
Brain that are
Affected

It affects the part of the brain

that controls thinking, emotion and
movement which would be
considered the basal ganglia.

What causes
this and what
are the
symptoms?

This disease is genetic. It is

inherited in an autosomal pattern
meaning that everyone who inherits the
faulty gene will eventually get the
disease.
The symptoms of this disease
include: poor memory, depression/or
mood swings, lack of coordination,
twitching or other uncontrolled
movements, and difficulty in walking,
speaking, and/or swallowing.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis

During pregnancy, a women can find out if her

baby will have the disease with two tests and
these include: Taking a sample of fluid from
around the fetus or by taking a sample of fetal
cells from the placenta.
A few neurological and psychological tests.
The disease gets worse over time.

Treatment

Treatments do not slow the progression of the

disease, but they can help make the patient
more comfortable.
Medications ease feelings of depression and
anxiety; others control involuntary
movements
Physical or speech therapy helps HD patients
lead to more normal lives.

Prevention
If a known family member with this disease should get tested to find out if they were
to have children, would t be passed onto them.
Another option for couples is in vitro fertilization and preimplantation genetic
diagnosis. In this process, eggs are removed from the ovaries and fertilized with the
father's sperm in a laboratory. The embryos are tested for presence of the
Huntingtin gene, and only those testing negative for the Huntington gene are
implanted in the mother's uterus.

Why is this important?

It is good to know about this disease because it is a life threatening issue for people
who have this disease that affects the brain. It helps the reader understand what
someone is to go through and if you ever come in contact it someone who has it, you
will already be informed that in no way that you can get this diseases due to it being
a family disease.

Does it disrupt of any

normal functions...
The part of the brain most affected by HD is a
group of nerve cells at the bottom of the brain
known collectively as the basal ganglia. The basal
ganglia organizes the muscle-driven movements
of the body, or motor movement. The major
components of the basal ganglia are the caudate
and the putamen (together known as the
striatum) and the globus pallidus (external and
internal regions).

How does this affect

homeostasis...
It affects brain cells in the basal ganglia.

Citations
"Huntington's Disease." Huntington's Disease. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.
"Huntington's Disease History." News-Medical.net. N.p., 21 Nov. 2009. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.