IS HUNTINGTON’S GENETIC?

Q AIs Huntington’s disease an inherited condition? Can it be treated? Huntington’s disease is an inherited condition that damages certain nerve cells in the brain.

This brain damage gets progressively worse over time and can affect movement,, cognitiong (pperception,p, awareness,, thinking, judgmennt) and behaviour. Early features incclude personality changes, mood swings, fidgety movements, irritability and altered behaviourr, although these arre often overlooked and attributed to something else. Huntington’s disease is caused by an inherited faultyy gene. However, in about 3% of casess, there’s no family history of the condition, normally because the parents died at a young age. If you have symptoms of Huntington’s disease, your GP will refer you to a specialist clinician (usually a neurologist) if they feel your symptoms need further investigation.

The specialist will ask about your symptoms to assess how likely it is that you have Huntington’s disease and to rule out similar conditions.

They may also test a number of physical functions, such as your eye movements, balance, control, movement and walking. Your speech and cognition may also be tested.

All of these can be affected by Huntington’s disease. Genetic testing can be used to confirm the diagnosis. There’s no cure for Huntington’s disease. Its progress can’t be reversed or slowed down, although this is the goal of many research projects. Some of the symptoms of Huntington’s disease can be managed with medication and therapies ■ https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-andconditions/brain-nerves-and-spinal-cord/ huntingtons-disease#about-huntingtons-disease