Huntington's Disease

Huntington's Disease (HD) is a neurological disorder. It is such a situation that gradually, a part of the brain becomes nonfunctional and is usually fatal after up to 20 years. It is a genetic disease where the defect is passed on from a person's parents. These diseased people typically die within 15 to 20 years of their initial diagnosis. In chromosome 4, a part of DNA is repeated multiple times than it is supposed to, causing HD, and this DNA repeat is called a CAG repeat. Classically, the repetition occurs 10 to 28 times. However, the repetition increases 36 to 120 times in persons with HD. CAG repeats increase as the genetic material is passed down through families. The symptoms manifest earlier if the number of CAG repeats increases. Consequently, the symptoms develop at younger ages when HD is passed in families. There are two types of HD: 1. Adult-onset is the most familiar. This type of diseased person typically develops symptoms in the mid-30s or 40s. 2. Early onset affects a few people and starts in childhood or adolescence. The first symptoms of Huntington's disease often include difficulties concentrating, memory lapses, depression, hopelessness, losing balance while walking and clumsiness, and mood swings (such as aggressive behavior). Besides, the patients also face involuntary jerking, muscle stiffness, impaired walking, balance, slow or abnormal eye movements, and difficulty with speech or swallowing. Huntington's is a painful disease. Currently, there is no cure for Huntington's disease or a way to stop it from worsening. Proper medication and management can help decrease some of the problems it causes. [Mahmud Hossain]