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Huntington's Disease The story of Edgar Deleritas and his struggle with Huntington's disease. By: David Rush and Jon Berkebile Description of the Disease Huntington’s disease is a devastating, degenerative, brain disorder, and is passed on through hereditary. This disease causes the death of the patient around 15-20 years after the symptoms hit and has no treatments or cure. Edgar’s Symptoms One day while Edgar was preparing dinner, he started having some problems. Immediately after dinner he made a doctors appointment for the very next day. The next day at the doctors office, Edgar was asked what the problem was. Edgar told the doctor he was experiencing symptoms of… ❖ Uncontrollable movement of the arms and legs. ❖ Loss of concentration and memory ❖ He also experienced some changes his mood including depression, anxiety, and severe anger. ❖ Edgars wife, Claire, told the doctor that Edgar was asking the same question multiple times. ❖ Also his wife told the doctor that many of his family members had experienced similar symptoms and had been diagnosed with Huntington’s. ❖ Lastly, Edgars Communication Error After Edgar told the doctor the symptoms he was still confused as to what was causing these symptoms. The doctor then told Edgar that this was caused by an inherited defect in a single gene. Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant disorder, which means that a person only needs one copy of the defective gene to develop the disorder. It affects the the part of the brain called the striatum. Treatment The doctor told Edgar that he was going to treat him by… ➔ No treatments can alter the course of Huntington's disease. But medications can lessen some symptoms of movement and psychiatric disorders. ➔ Tetrabenazine, Antipsychotic drugs, amantadine, and levetiracetam are used to help control the chorea (spasms of body parts) ➔ Antidepressants, Antipsychotic drugs, and Mood-stabilizing drugs help control the psychiatric disorders caused by Huntington's. Also to help with the psychiatric disorders patients will sometimes go to therapy for psychiatric help, speech therapy and physical therapy. These treatments are not cures; however, they can help him cope with the disease that will forever change his life. Prognosis Huntington's disease causes disability that gets worse over time. People with this disease tend to die within 15 to 20 years of the first symptoms. The two most common causes of death because of this disease are infection and suicide. Extra Occupations Involved Physical Therapist: Is needed to help patient with the spasms. A physical therapist (PT) evaluates, diagnoses and treats patients with disorders that limit their abilities to move or function normally in daily life. All PTs must be licensed by their states. While each state has its own requirements, most require that candidates have graduate degrees in physical therapy from accredited programs and pass the National Physical Therapy Examination. Therapist: Helps patient with psychological issues like mood swings or depression. A therapist helps patients to deal with their emotions by talking to them. They can prescribe drugs they think will help. You need a masters degree in order to become a therapist, but a phd is recommended in order to secure a better job easier. Citations Striatum Picture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striatum Info: • Huntington's Disease. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2014, from http://www.alz.org/dementia/huntingtons-diseasesymptoms.asp • Huntington's Disease. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2014, from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/alzheimersdementia/huntingtons-disease.htm