User talk:Z3389806
History
The first thorough description of the disease was by George Huntington in 1872. Examining the combined medical history of several generations of a family exhibiting similar symptoms, he realized their conditions must be linked; he presented his detailed and accurate definition of the disease as his first paper. Huntington described the exact pattern of inheritance of autosomal dominant disease years before the rediscovery by scientists of Mendelian inheritance.
"Of its hereditary nature. When either or both the parents have shown manifestations of the disease ..., one or more of the offspring almost invariably suffer from the disease ... But if by any chance these children go through life without it, the thread is broken and the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the original shakers may rest assured that they are free from the disease.".
Although Huntington's disease has existed since at least the seventeenth century, and although several physicians provided earlier descriptions of hereditary chorea, Huntington's disease was not generally recognized until the classic description by George Huntington (1850-1916) in 1872.
Resource: (PMID:11232352)
Treatment
There is no cure for Huntington's disease. Similar to AIDS, only the symptoms can be treated to slow down the progression of the disease.
Medications
- Movement disorders
- Psychiatric disorders
Therapies
- Psychotherapy
- Speech Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
Quite recently, there are a couple of breakthroughs for the treatment of Huntington's.
- Five siRNAs targeting three SNPs may provide therapy for three-quarters of Huntington's disease patients. [1]
- Using adult neurotrophic factor-secreting stem cells. [2]
<a href="http://www.disabled-world.com/health/neurology/breakthrough-cure.php">Huntington's Disease Breakthrough May Provide Cure</a>
