Background+Information

= Background Info =

**__Definition __**:Huntington's disease is a genetic (hereditary) brain disorder that cause uncontrollable physical movements (walking and talking), mental deterioration (inable to reason), and changes in cognition, behavior, and personality. There is no cure or slowing the progression, although Xenazine can be used to relieve some symptoms. It affects the lives of entire family: emotionally, socially, and economically.

**__History __**: Huntington’s disease was first described by an American physician, George Huntington in 1872. The HD became well known when __Woody Guthrie__, a famous American singer-songwriter and folk musician, in the 1950’s developed it. In 1993, after some intensive research and experiments, scientists discovered the gene that causes HD. Four years later, investigators at the University of California at Los Angeles found how the mutated gene caused HD. __**Statistics**__:
 * 1) HD is one of the more common disorders. More than 1/4 of a million Americans have HD or are at risk of inheriting the disease.
 * 2) 1/10,000 Americans have HD. It typically begins between the ages of 30 and 50, though onset can start from the age of 2. Children who develop the juvenile form of HD rarely live to adulthood.
 * 3) There are approximately 200,000 Americans "at-risk" of developing the disease. The average lifespan after the onset of HD is 10 to 20 years.
 * 4) People with Huntington’s disease have many problems for living. They have difficulty performing a sequence of tasks. They lose the ability to reason (dementia). People with Huntington's disease lose their ability to gait emotion. They become childish and can become very irritable if they are tired, cold, hungry, isolated, or in pain. Compulsive behaviors, obsessions, and hallucinations are also problems they experience.
 * 5) It can affect the traditional roles in a family. Children doing all household chores being neglected are some of the results of a parent's HD.
 * 6) People affected by HD often face discrimination from their jobs and from their health insurance carriers. Genetic discrimination in the workplace and from health insurance carriers is banned. People with movement disorders caused by HD can be accused of being intoxicated because of slurred speech or uneven gait. Those with HD are blamed for behaviors they cannot control because these "hidden" disabilities can be difficult for people to understand.

Kelly B., who had HD, wrote, “School had been very hard for me. I had problems with concentration, retention of information, and comprehension of what I learned.” She said that kids were struggling in school because of their personality. They have low self-esteem. Huntington’s disease is a whole family affair; everyone is affected in some way by their HD family member. (Published 05-05-2010, and 01-01-2010).