Myelin visited my office yesterday complaining of numbness in his right leg and face. He has also been experiencing muscle weakness and mild depression. I noticed a delay in his visual response in both eyes. I have referred Myelin to your facility because of possible multiple sclerosis, and I am requesting an MRI of the brain and spine. Please fax the results to me as soon as possible.…
Huntington’s disease is a genetic disorder that can not be incurable that is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner.…
Huntington’s is a genetic and autosomal dominant inherited disease; meaning that it is not affected 23rd chromosome also known as the sex chromosome. This indicates that if one has any parent with Huntington’s (female or male), they have a 50% chance of contracting the disease which can be seen in Figure 1. (Collins, n.d) . An irregular expansion of a reciprocated area of the DNA sequences of the gene is the result of the Huntingtin gene. That particular area encodes the amino acid glutamine. (healthtree, n.d) In a normal, healthy person; one has a string of 9 to 39 glutamines. But due to the irregular expansion of the Huntingtin gene, people with Huntington 's have 36 - 121 glutamines; well above the normal range. Due to the extreme size of this area, it makes the Huntingtin protein more unstable and turns the area into an abnormal shape. (healthtree, n.d)Though we know the genetics behind it, it is still a mystery why this Huntingtin protein causing neuron death in the striatum, the substantia nigra and the hypothalamus of the brain which can be seen in Figure 2 (look at yellow boxes). (healthtree, n.d)Due to the nature of the disease being…
In 1872, George Huntington wrote about a disease that he and his family was suffering from. Symptoms included slurred speech, involuntary or slowed movement, and compulsive emotions and feelings. Today, it is known that this disease is a genetic disease affecting the brain, caused by the mutation of chromosome number 4, in which the codon CAG repeats over 40 times, contrary to the normal 10 to 26 times. Though it is unknown as to why this repetition causes such effect on the brain, scientists have devised methods in which it would be possible for individuals to test for the disease through genetic screening. Though genetic screening could have its side effects, it is currently the best way to take preventive measures for individuals carrying the mutation to not pass on to future generations as well as provide other personal aspects that would benefit the individual the most.…
Huntington’s disease affects the way a person moves around. The disease destroys cells in the basal ganglia, the part of the brain that controls movement, emotion, and cognitive ability. Cystic Fibrosis is a hereditary disease of the mucus, saliva and sweat glands. It affects organs like; lungs, pancreas, liver and intestines.…
For instance, Huntington’s disease usually begins displaying symptoms after 30 years of age, and changes in behaviour such as hallucinations, confusion, memory loss and personality changes occur. This may cause depression, isolation and decreased ability within individuals which is caused by the genetics of the disease rather than the environment.…
In 1995, genetically 50% out of 1,000 people in the population end up or effected by Huntington’s disease. (Phillips, Dennis H.) Huntington’s disease commonly known as HD is an inherited disease that causes certain nerve cells in the brain to waste away.(National Library of Medicine) This basically means that you lose all function of what might seem like the most simplest thing to do like walking and talking. Even raising your hand will be almost impossible to do with Huntington’s disease. This disease usually takes over your body at the ages between 30 or 40. If you get it before the age of 20 it is now called Juvenile Huntington’s disease (national liberty of medicine).…
It is caused by getting passed down from parents. HD results from genetically programmed degeneration of nerve cells, called neurons, in certain…
Although characterized as an “adult on-set” disease, it can affect children as well (Medterms, 1998). Huntington’s is a genetic disorder that main affects people in their 40’s and 50’s (Team C, 2011). I mainly affects the brain which leads to a gradual loss of control of movement along with memory loss and a loss of mental ability (Team C, 2011). I suppose you could say it is essentially a breakdown of the brain and the functions that are accompanied with it (Team C, 2011). With Huntington’s disease comes certain personality changes and depression along with some other mental illnesses (Team C, 2011). As of now there is no known cure but there have been a few case studies researching the possibility of a cure (Team C, 2011). Huntington’s disease has a pattern known as “autosomal dominance” (Team C, 2011). Autosomes Are the chromosomes inside the cells of the body aside from the sex chromosomes (Team C, 2011). This is where our body’s genetic information is stored and located (Team C, 2011). The genetic abnormality that is normally associated with Huntington’s disease is located on the fourth chromosome and the three bases arranged along the chromosome happen in a repeated sequence (Team C, 2011). An excess amount of the repeats leads to Huntington’s disease (Team C, 2011). Any more than 35 reps of this particular sequence is often attributed to Huntington’s but…
"We never think how great a gift is to think" (Gaskins). This is a quote that demonstrates the intensity of Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. I choose this topic to spread awareness about this cruel and deadly disease. I began my interest in Alzheimer's about three years ago, when I began volunteering for the association. My past involvements in the Alzheimer's Association began with a service event called "Walk to End ALZ 2k15." This was a marathon where all profits went to the Alzheimer's Association. Therefore, ever since this event, I've been hooked.…
Some patients may experience unintentional jerking or wriggling movements (chorea), muscle problems, such as inflexibility or muscle contractions (dystonia), Slow or irregular eye movements, disabled stride, posture and balance, difficulty with speech or swallowing, feelings of irritability, sadness or apathy, social withdrawal, insomnia, tiredness and loss of energy, or frequent thoughts of suicide, and death related ideas. Due to these symptoms the social consequences of Huntington’s disease can be disastrous. Humans with this condition will slur their words to the point of total mispronunciation and have a chance of completely losing their speech. The decision making process is altered and people in the later stages of the disease have hard time concentrating on memorization. Also the the affected patients might do out of the ordinary behavior, and say things without thinking. Other symptoms can be aggression, apathy, depression, and denial(7). Patients with the disease can have children, but take the risk for passing on the genes to their offspring(10). The disease itself is not fatal, but the complications related to it can shorten the lifespan of the people affected. Heart failure and pneumonia are two common complications of the disease. Many people develop symptoms in their 30’s to 50’s and usually live from 10 - 20 years after…
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s include starts with mild dementia and progress to more severe dementia. According to the University of Maryland Medical System research, dementia is defined as a, “significant loss of cognitive functions such as memory, judgment, attention, and abstract thinking.” Huntington disease involves symptoms of involuntary jerking movements, muscle degeneration and difficulty producing speech or swallowing (mayoclinic.org). Mentally, some symptoms of Huntington’s also include, “intense emotion, irritability, and aggression” (stanford.edu). Family would be more understanding to someone who had Huntington’s disease with emotional outbursts. It would be more hard to cope with someone who has complete memory loss and be more emotionally exhausting for the family members. The individual’s reaction to the diagnosis of the two diseases is different. Since Huntington’s is a genetic disease people are already aware since it runs in the family. The reaction to Alzheimer’s may be severe depending on the person. Many times when a patient gets notified that they are developing Huntington’s disease the shock is nonexistent because the patient was aware. When someone gets the news of Alzheimer’s disease, the individual develops stress, anxiety and depression.…
Praxis Press. (2000). MMSE Test and Alzheimer’s. The Scientist – Magazine of the Life Sciences. Retrieved from the internet at http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/18923…
The striatum in the brain is believed to play a large factor in the cause of the symptoms of Huntington’s disease. Its function is to process all of the signals within the neocortex and then pass them to other parts of the basal ganglia and frontal lobes. The parts of the brain that the striatum sends its information to are known for playing a large role in the planning and execution of a person’s bodily movement. Huntington’s disease seems to disrupt the striatum’s pathway in sending its messages, which then interferes with the parts of the brain that control movement. This pathway disruption is what causes the loss of muscle control for those who suffer from the disease. As a person is first affected, the chorea starts off as minor but as the disease progresses more damage is done to the brain, which results in an increase in the severity of symptoms. This is believed to be the reason behind eighty percent of brains belonging to those who have died of Huntington’s disease having significant atrophy to their frontal lobes. Along with a loss of frontal lobe tissue, this disease also causes a loss of striatal tissue, a noticeable amount of one hundred percent of all Huntington’s disease brains examined. Expectedly, on average a brain that has gone through the symptoms of Huntington’s disease is on average smaller than a normal unaffected…
There are more & more immigrants coming to the US from Latinamerica and the American people are feeling threateend by them. They are afraid they will become a minority very soon.…