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Essay / Huntington's Disease Essay - 1038
The physical signs and symptoms that a person with Huntington's disease may experience do not usually begin to appear until age 35, although it is possible that they appear at any time between infancy and old age. Almost all people with Huntington's disease eventually develop symptoms of the disease, although the onset, duration, and prognosis vary between individuals. At first, only small changes occur in personality or cognition. These symptoms are usually overlooked because they are not serious enough to cause much concern. Physical symptoms are usually much more concerning because they are measurable and more severe. The first visible symptom is usually cholera. Cholera is a form of dyskinesia which is an abnormal disorder of involuntary movement. These are rapid movements of the hands and feet that exhibit brief, semi-directed, and irregular movements. These movements generally do not seem rhythmic or repetitive, but flow from one muscle to the next. Sometimes movements occur with athetosis, which adds twisting and twisting movements. Unlike Parkinson's disease, where movements are fragile when initiated, movements in Huntington's disease are completely uninitiated and involuntary. As cholera progresses, it begins with slight movements that resemble harmless restlessness, lack of coordination, small unfinished or involuntary movements, or jerky eye movements. Over the course of about three years, these small movements began to become more established and progressive. As the chorea persists, it becomes much more rigid and twists. At this stage, abnormal posture becomes a problem. In advanced stages, any action requiring muscular control will be affected. This includes and is not in the middle of the article...... Although promising, the results of studies involving stem cells have been inconclusive and often provide mixed results. In conclusion, the symptoms caused by Huntington's disease change. the sensation and perception of the individual. The symptoms are dramatic, devastating and possibly fatal. These symptoms can trigger secondary symptoms in the individual, such as depression and suicidal tendencies, because the diagnosis is something of a death sentence. Although there is still no cure, research continues. Promising ongoing research includes stem cell replacement and gene silencing to slow the progression or onset of disease. The disease also has the potential to be eradicated if people carrying the mutated gene do not reproduce now that testing is available. People with the disease have many options for seeking support from groups or family members..