Huntington’s disease is a rare, hereditary neurodegenerative disorder that exerts a profound influence on an individual’s quality of life, manifesting in impairments of motor function, cognition, and mental health. Regrettably, there is currently no cure for this condition, but there are treatment and medication options for symptom management, such as prescription medications like haloperidol, tetrabenazine, amantadine, and Austedo which specifically helps with chorea. If you’re concerned about finances, such as Austedo XR hdchorea medication costs, be sure to look for discounts or purchase health insurance for coverage. Unlike many other conditions, the risk of developing Huntington’s does not rely on sex, ethnicity, lifestyle, nutritional choices, and so on. This disease causes symptoms such as uncontrollable movements (chorea), abnormal body postures, and issues with behavior, emotions, thinking, and personality. Here is the primary cause of Huntington’s chorea:

1.Inherited faulty gene
Firstly, before symptoms even begin, Huntington’s can manifest in the body and not show up until a person’s 30s or 40s. As mentioned, Huntington’s is a hereditary disease—it is possible for sporadic Huntington’s to occur, but most often a diagnosis comes from an inherited faulty gene. When a parent has Huntington’s, each child has a 50% chance of inheriting the copy of chromosome 4 that carries the HD mutation—if a child does not inherit it, they will not develop the disease and they cannot pass it to future generations.

2. Attacks on the brain cause chorea
A diagnosis can be received by a diagnostic genetic test before symptoms begin to check for the defective gene for Huntington protein (typically only done if a patient’s parent has had Huntington’s), or it may be prompted by the onset of symptoms. One of the most common, and likely most noticeable symptoms, is chorea. Chorea results in involuntary movements like jerking and writhing, typically beginning in the person’s fingers, feet, face, or torso. This symptom is primarily caused by the disease’s attacks on the brain, parts of the basal ganglia known as the caudate nucleus and putamen—a collection of nerve cells located at the base of the cerebrum that helps to smooth out and coordinate movements. As the disease progresses, so does the degeneration of this area of the brain, thus explaining why chorea becomes more and more intense over time.

If your or a loved one has Huntington’s, it is important to consider participating in clinical trials so more can be learned about the disease. This allows for researchers to learn more about the disorder, find better ways to detect, treat, or prevent disease.