Huntington's Disease - An Overview Huntington's disease is a devastating, progressive neurological disorder that results primarily from the degeneration of nerve cells in the deep center of the brain. The condition was first described by George Huntington, a New York physician, in 1872. Even then, the physician recognized the all-encompassing factors of the disorder by describing it as "coming on gradually but inexorably, gradually increasing, and often occupying years in the its development until the unfortunate patient is nothing but a trembling wreck of his former self." The three most profound behavioral problems in Huntington's disease arise from uncontrollable movements called "chorea," dementia, and altered perception of the world. . The course of Huntington's disease can last from ten to thirty years, from onset to death. HD symptoms usually develop when the person is between the ages of 30 and 50, although they have been known to appear as early as age two and as young as 70. It affects all races and ethnic groups and occurs with the same frequency. in both men and women. As the disease progresses, the severity of symptoms increases and can be divided into three stages. The first stage is characterized by subtle, uncontrollable muscle movements, including stumbling and clumsiness, lack of concentration and short-term memory lapses, depression, and mood changes. Over the course of the disease, patients may need assistance with some daily activities as their walking, talking, and swallowing abilities deteriorate. Involuntary movements become more pronounced and may be noticeable to the casual observer. In the later stages, HD patients require full-time care, and often families of… people with this disease in the United States. Another 150,000 are at risk. Although very few cases of HD are due to recent mutations, anyone with the HD gene will eventually develop the disease, unless they die of some other cause before signs appear. Furthermore, there is often little or no choice of residential care for people with HD, especially in the later stages of the disease. However, hope for a cure continues to grow each year, and families and communities come together to promote better treatment and understanding for those affected by the disease. Hopefully, a cure will be found in my lifetime. Internet sources: "On Huntington's disease", Internet, available: http://www.med.jhu.edu/bhde/hdinfo.html.http://www.kumc. edu/hospital/huntingtons/genetics.htmlhttp://www.lib.uchicago.edu/~rd13/hd/review.html