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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffThe signs and symptoms of Huntington's disease can vary significantly from person to person. Huntington's disease usually develops slowly, and the severity of signs and symptoms is related to the degree of nerve cell loss. Death occurs about 10 to 30 years after signs and symptoms first appear. The disease progression may occur faster in younger people.
Early signs and symptoms of Huntington's disease often include:
- Personality changes, such as irritability, anger, depression or a loss of interest
- Decreased cognitive abilities, such as difficulty making decisions, learning new information, answering questions and remembering important information
- Mild balance problems
- Clumsiness
- Involuntary facial movements, such as grimacing
Your family and friends may notice these changes before you become aware of them.
Later signs and symptoms of Huntington's disease can include:
- Sudden jerky, involuntary movements (chorea) throughout your body
- Severe problems with balance and coordination
- Jerky, rapid eye movements
- Hesitant, halting or slurred speech
- Swallowing problems
- Dementia
Young people who develop Huntington's disease may have signs and symptoms that mimic Parkinson's disease:
- Muscle rigidity
- Tremors
- Slow movements
Seizures may also occur in those with early-onset Huntington's disease.
When to see a doctor
See your doctor if you notice changes in your movements, emotional control or mental ability. These signs and symptoms can be the result of many conditions, so they don't necessarily mean you have Huntington's disease.
If you have a family history of Huntington's disease, you may want to talk with your doctor about genetic testing that can tell you whether or not you carry the defective gene. Deciding whether to be tested for the gene is a personal decision. For some people, the uncertainty of whether they carry the faulty gene is stressful and distracting. For others, the knowledge that they will develop the condition is burdensome. If you're uncertain whether testing is right for you, consider contacting a genetic counselor who can help you understand the implications of a positive or negative test result, walk you through the testing process, and help you weigh the pros and cons. Ask your doctor for help locating a genetic counselor.
- Huntington's disease: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/huntington/detail_huntington.htm. Accessed March 27, 2009.
- Huntington's disease. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec16/ch221/ch221e.html#sec16-ch221-ch221e-49. Accessed March 27, 2009.
- SuttonBrown MA, et al. Huntington disease: Clinical features and diagnosis. http://uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 12, 2009.
- Learning about Huntington's disease. National Human Genome Research Institute. http://www.genome.gov/page.cfm?pageID=10001215. Accessed March 27, 2009.
- Trushina E, et al. Mutant huntingtin inhibits clathrin-independent endocytosis and causes accumulation of cholesterol in vitro and in vivo. Human Molecular Genetics. 2006;15:3578.
- Katsuno M, et al. Getting a handle on Huntington's disease: The case for cholesterol. Nature Medicine. 2009;15:253.
- FDA approves first drug for treatment of chorea in Huntington's disease. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01874.html. Accessed March 28, 2009.
- Kim SU. Stem cell-based cell therapy in neurological diseases: A review. Journal of Neuroscience Research. In press. Accessed March 28, 2009.
- ACR16. Neurosearch.com. http://www.neurosearch.com/Default.aspx?ID=752. Accessed March 28, 2009.
