Huntington’s Disease

Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a fatal genetic brain disorder affecting nearly one million people globally. It is among the most common hereditary brain disorders, yet few people have heard of it and there are no effective treatments. It causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain, deteriorating a person’s physical and mental abilities, eventually robbing the person of the ability to talk, walk, swallow, think and reason.

It is caused by a faulty gene in your DNA (the biological ‘instructions’ you inherit which tell your cells what to do). If you have HD, it affects your body’s nervous system – the network of nerve tissues in the brain and spinal cord that co-ordinate your body’s activities.

The symptoms of HD vary widely between individuals. Even members of the same family may be affected differently. However, changes usually affect three main areas: movement (movements may happen that you don’t expect, while doing what you do want to do becomes more difficult); cognitive (difficulties with planning and thinking) and behaviour (changes in personality).

The disease is progressive. Symptoms usually develop between the ages of 30-50 years, although they can start at any time.

Sometimes, symptoms are present for a long time before a diagnosis of HD. Professionals and families can mistake HD for a different illness such as Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease. This is especially true when people are not aware that the faulty gene is in their family and that they are at risk.

Clinical content courtesy of HDA

For more on HD and support, see our Resources page.