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Huntington’s Disease. By: Marissa Schroeder and Aaron Larson Period 2. History. In 1872, the first thorough description of the disease was by George Huntington. Charles Davenport proved it was autosomal dominant in 1911.
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Huntington’s Disease By: Marissa Schroeder and Aaron Larson Period 2
History • In 1872, the first thorough description of the disease was by George Huntington. • Charles Davenport proved it was autosomal dominant in 1911. • In 1993, the US-Venezuela Huntington’s Disease Collaborative Research Project discovered the approx. location of the gene. • Was the first autosomal disease found using genetic linkage analysis. • Is named after George Huntington.
Symptoms • Behavioral problems • Hallucinations • Irritability • Moodiness • Restless • Paranoia • Abnormal movements • Dementia • Difficulty swallowing
What happens to those who have it? • People diagnosed in their late 30’s to mid-40s are expected to live another 15-20 years. • There is no cure. • The goal for treatment is to slow down the symptoms and help the person function normally for as long as possible.
How is it passed on? • Caused by a genetic defect on chromosome 4 • A DNA sequence, CAG, is supposed to repeat only 10 to 28 times. • Someone with Huntington’s will have CAG repeated 36 to 120 times. • The gene is autosomal dominant, meaning that you have a 50-50 chance of having Huntington’s when you’re older. • The more repeats, the younger symptoms will start. • Someone of European ancestry will have a greater chance of getting Huntington’s than someone who is Chinese, Japanese, or African.
Other Facts • 1 in every 30,000 Americans have Huntington’s. • Woody Guthrie had Huntington’s Disease. • He sang “This Land is Your Land”
Work Cited • http://www.news-medical.net/health/Huntingtons-Disease-History.aspx • http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/huntingtons-disease/DS00401/DSECTION=symptoms • http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/huntingtons-disease/overview.html • http://www.hdsa.org/about/our-mission/what-is-hd.html