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Huntington's disease

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Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited disorder that causes nerve cells (neurons) in parts of the brain to gradually break down and die. The disease attacks areas of the brain that help to control voluntary (intentional) movement, as well as other areas. People living with HD develop uncontrollable dance-like movements (chorea) and abnormal body postures, as well as problems with behavior, emotion, thinking, and personality.

HD is caused by a mutation in the gene for a protein called huntingtin. The defect causes the building blocks of DNA called cytosine, adenine, and guanine (CAG) to repeat many more times than they normally do.

 

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Symptoms 

Symptoms of HD typically appear in middle-aged people (adult HD). They can also appear in children (juvenile HD), but this is rare. 

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  • Muscular: abnormality walking, increased muscle activity, involuntary movements, problems with coordination, loss of muscle, or muscle spasms

  • Cognitive: amnesia, delusion, lack of concentration, mental confusion, slowness in activity, or difficulty thinking and understanding

  • Behavioural: compulsive behaviour, fidgeting, irritability, or lack of restraint

  • Psychological: delirium, depression, hallucination, or paranoia

  • Mood: anxiety, apathy, or mood swings

  • Also common: difficulty speaking, memory loss, tremor, or weight loss

Physiotherapy 

 Standard physiotherapy for HD includes:

  • Gait re-education

  • Balance retraining

  • Fallprevention/management

  • Aerobic capacity

  • Muscle strengthening

  • Wheelchair prescription and training

  • Respiratory function

  • Task-specific reach, grasp, and manipulation

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