Huntington's disease

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Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

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Illustration showing autosomal dominant inheritance pattern Autosomal dominant inheritance pattern

Huntington's disease is caused by an inherited defect in a single gene. Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant disorder, which means that a person needs only one copy of the defective gene to develop the disorder.

With the exception of genes on the sex chromosomes, a person inherits two copies of every gene — one copy from each parent. A parent with a defective Huntington gene could pass along the defective copy of the gene or the healthy copy. Each child in the family, therefore, has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the gene that causes the genetic disorder.

Risk factors Symptoms
References
  1. Huntington's disease: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/huntington/huntington.htm. Accessed March 24, 2011.
  2. Rosenblatt A, et al. A physician's guide to the management of Huntington's disease. Huntington's Disease Society of America. http://www.hdsa.org/images/content/1/1/11682.pdf. Accessed March 28, 2011.
  3. Novak MJ, et al. Huntington's disease. British Medical Journal 2010;340:c3109.
  4. Depression. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/sec07/ch101/ch101b.html. Accessed April 4, 2011.
  5. Nance M. The juvenile HD handbook: A guide for families. Huntington's Disease Society of America. http://www.hdsa.org/images/content/1/1/11702.pdf. Accessed March 28, 2011.
  6. Paulsen JS, et al. Critical periods of suicide risk in Huntington's disease. The American Journal of Psychiatry 2005;162:725.
  7. Frank S, et al. Advances in the pharmacological management of Huntington's disease. Drugs 2010;70:561.
  8. Suchowersky O. Huntington disease: Management. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 4, 2011.
  9. Katon W, et al. Initial treatment of depression in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 4, 2011.
DS00401 May 5, 2011

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