Signs of Huntington's Disease

Huntington's disease is a genetic disease that causes gradual degeneration of the brain and death. Whether you have the gene can be determined from birth, but symptoms typically do not appear until middle age. Huntington's disease is caused by a dominant gene, which means that a person only needs to inherit the gene from one parent to get the disease.

Physical Signs

• People with Huntington's disease may exhibit sudden, involuntary movements called tics. They may also experience difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, severe loss of coordination, and stumbling or falling.

Mental Signs

• Mental functions decline during the course of the disease, resulting in memory loss, poor judgment, and difficulty answering questions or learning new information. Eventually, a person with Huntington's will be unable to recognize familiar people or objects.

Emotional Signs

• Depression is commonly associated with Huntington's disease, and may lead to irritability, decreased interest in life, lack of energy, and the inability to experience pleasure or joy. Anger, aggression, and personality changes can also occur.

Psychotic Signs

• People with Huntington's may have psychotic behavior, delusions, hallucinations and paranoia.

Signs In Children

• Symptoms of Huntington's disease can occur in children, especially in very severe and rapidly progressing cases. Signs of the disease in young people include seizures, tremors, muscle rigidity and slow movement.