Personalized and Compassionate Care
Huntington’s
disease (HD) is an inherited disorder that results in progressive degeneration
of cells in the part of the brain that control emotions, body movements, and
other neurological processes. The cause of HD is unknown, and currently there
is no cure.
The UT
Southwestern Movement Disorders team works in collaboration with our genetics
and metabolism teams to provide people with HD the latest care advances, from
clinical trials to genetic counseling.
Symptoms of Huntington’s Disease
Symptoms
of HD vary from person to person and might be subtle at first. HD causes some
combination of movement disorder, psychiatric problems, and cognitive changes, but
the onset and severity of each symptom is unique to each patient.
Symptoms
include:
- Behavioral disturbances
- Change in mood
- Chorea: Abnormal and unusual involuntary
movements or impaired voluntary movements, such as facial movements, grimaces,
head turning to shift eye position, quick or sudden jerking motions, and
unsteady gait
- Dementia that slowly gets worse, such as disorientation
or confusion, loss of judgment and memory, personality and speech changes, and
cognitive impairments
- Dystonia: Involuntary muscle contractions
- Incoordination
- Irritability and impulsivity
- Paranoia or psychosis
- Rigidity
- Trouble swallowing
Huntington’s
is most prevalent in adults, but it can affect children. Signs of the disease
in children include:
- Loss of previously learned skills
- Rigidity
- Slow movements
- Parkinsonism
The symptoms of HD are progressive, but many people with the
disease are able to live independently or with only minor assistance for many
years. Eventually, people with HD will require significant assistance at home
or in a care facility.
Our Services for Huntington’s Disease
HD has no
cure, but symptom management with medications can improve quality of life. Our
team in the Movement Disorders Clinic works closely with our colleagues in
rehabilitation and psychiatry to provide multidisciplinary treatment for HD
patients.
We also
work very closely with the local Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA)
chapter and are involved in support and outreach programs to help patients.
Research and Clinical Trials
The Movement
Disorders Clinic has participated in several HD research trials, and, as
members of the Huntington’s Study Group, we continue to be involved in
groundbreaking HD research.
Currently,
a novel drug for treatment of irritability in HD is being studied as part of
the NeuroNEXT trials consortium by UT Southwestern’s Pravin Khemani, M.D., and
his colleagues. We are one of the top recruiting sites for this study.