Huntington's Disease

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Huntington's disease is a genetic disease, which affects the central nervous system in individuals who usually are thirty years and above though it does occur sometimes in people younger than this. The paper points out that it occurs as an inherited autosomal dominant condition and it affects all or most of the family members within the same family. The author points out that a cocktail of drugs and other modes of treatment, which supposedly delay the onset and the progression of the disease, are available while researchers are finding an actual cure for it. The paper relates that online support is given to the patient and his family so that they are not alone in their suffering and that the primary care giver is prepared to deal with all the symptoms of the disease.

From the Paper:

"Some of the early symptoms of the Huntington's disease are a difficulty in remembering things, and in learning how to drive, severe mood swings, depression, and so on. The disease will make an inevitable progress, until such time as when he will not be able to even feed himself or to swallow by himself. Progression depends on the individual, and the earlier the doctor is able to diagnose the disease, the earlier help can be sought. The doctor would generally advise a genetic test, and then a complete medical history would be asked for, and then the patient would be subjected to a battery of neurological and laboratory tests. After the diagnosis is made, then the patient can start on medication. There are those people who have been suffering from the Huntington's disease, and these people would require a pre-diagnosis for their children. In most cases, however, the disease is not evident in 1 to 3% of individuals who do have a family history of the Huntington's disease."

More papers on Huntington's Disease:

• Persuasive Essay # 117867 : "Huntington's Disease"
• Essay # 32361 : "The Use of Mice in Research on Huntington's Disease"
• Research Paper # 5219 : "Testing for Huntington's Disease"

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