Download Huntingtons_Colten_Nick_Kristian_P8

Mrs. GM
Period 8
2/8/11
Huntington’s disease
By
Colten Appleby
Kristian Nee
Nick Reynoso
Please check the notes section for additional information
Woody Guthrie
Here is a short video on Woody Guthrie, a
famous American musician who wrote
famous songs such as “This Land is Your
Land”. He suffered Huntington’s Disease
in his early adult life.
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=295F0B2
E-5F28-49C1-86BA36A797D21285&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US
Definition
Taber’s Cyclopedia Medical Dictionary
defines Huntington’s Chorea as “an
inherited disease of the central nervous
system which usually has its onset
between 30 to 50 years of age. The
patient has progressive dementia with
bizarre involuntary movements
characteristics of chorea. The disease
slowly progressives and death is usually
due to an intercurrent* infection.”
The Numbers
• It is estimated that 5 per 100,000 people of
European ancestry have HD. The
condition appears to be less common in
other populations, such as African
Americans.
• In United States alone, about 30,000
people have Huntington's disease; about 1
in every 10,000 people is thought to have
the condition.
History
• American doctor George Huntington first
described the disorder in 1872.
• It is a genetic defect on Chromosome #4.
Diagnosis and Tests
Most important is an accurate medical
history of the patient.
Complete physical including neurological
exam.
Further testing includes Head Cat Scan,
Head MRI scan, and PET scan of the
brain which will show brain shrinkage.
DNA marker studies are done to
determine if you are the carrier of the
disease.
Symptoms
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Uncoordinated movements
Loss of muscle control
Personality changes
Loss of learning
Dementia
Slurred speech
Swallowing and eating difficulties
Causes
•Huntington’s disease is a dominant
gene, meaning you have it or you don’t.
Huntington’s disease can not skip a
generation like recessive genes can.
•If one of your parents has it and your
other parent doesn’t have it you have a
50% chance of getting it. If you don’t
have the gene and your spouse doesn’t
have the gene, all of your child and
grandchildren will be fine.
Treatment
• Treatment for HD is aimed at controlling symptons not
curing the disease.
• At this moment in time there is no known cure for HD.
• The U.S. food and drug administration has approved
Tetrabenazine (Xenazine).
• Tetrabenazine helps to reduce involuntary movements
by increasing dopamine in the brain.
• This drug usually is given once a day to start, and may
gradually increase to up to three times a day.
• Due to bad side affects physicians often prescribe the
lowest possible dose. *
Treatment
The treatment for Huntington's disease is
the use of drugs such as:
• Antidepressants
• Antipsychotics
• Mood-stabilizers
• Botulinum toxins
These will not cure Huntington's Disease but will
slow or stop the jerking of limbs, mood swings,
and depression.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
"Huntington's Disease Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment on MedicineNet.com." MedicineNet.
Web. 07 Feb. 2011. <http://www.medicinenet.com/huntington_disease/article.htm>.
Lang, A. "Huntington's Disease: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." National Library of
Medicine - National Institutes of Health. Web. 07 Feb. 2011.
<http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000770.htm>.
Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Huntington's Disease - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. 8 May 2009. Web. 07
Feb. 2011. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/huntingtons-disease/DS00401>.
The End Of Woody's Life: Looking Back At His Body Of Work. Discovery Education. 1999.
Web. 07 Feb. 2011. <http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=295F0B2E5F28-49C1-86BA-36A797D21285>.
"What Is Huntington’s Disease?" Science Museum London. Web. 07 Feb. 2011.
<http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/WhoAmI/FindOutMore/Yourgenes/Whatcausesgeneticcond
itions/Whatisdominantinheritance/WhatisHuntingtonsdisease.aspx>.