Huntington's Disease

What is Huntington's Disease?

Huntington’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that alters your physical movement, thinking abilities and mental health. Symptoms of Huntington’s disease include:

  • Cognitive decline (dementia)
  • Involuntary movements (chorea)
  • Walking abnormalities with falls
  • Mental symptoms such as depression, anxiety and psychosis

Huntington’s disease typically occurs between the ages of 30 and 50 years. Occasionally, children and elderly adults receive a Huntington’s disease diagnosis. Mental and physical abilities decline over five to 20 years. Without a cure, this disease is fatal.

A gene mutation causes Huntington’s disease. You inherit the mutated gene from one parent. This means if you have a parent with Huntington’s disease, you have a 50% chance of getting the disease. Siblings and parents of a person with the condition also have a 50% chance of inheriting it.

Our Movement Disorders Center can help you cope with some of the physical, mental and emotional symptoms as the condition progresses.

Find an Emory Provider

Why Choose Emory Healthcare

The Emory Clinic Movement Disorders Center is a Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA) Center of Excellence. Our specialists offer care to help manage symptoms like uncontrolled body movements and mood changes.

The HDSA Center of Excellence at Emory was the first center established nationwide. We have one of the world’s largest Huntington's disease clinics and treat nearly 150 people each year.

Emory Healthcare has been part of the Huntington Study Group since it began in 1993. We participate in ongoing clinical research trials that focus on Huntington’s disease.

Our team includes a dedicated Huntington’s disease genetic counselor and a movement disorders social worker. The social worker helps with resources and questions such as disability and care options.

Living with Huntington's Disease

Huntington’s disease affects about 30,000 people in the United States. Neuromuscular disease experts at Emory Neurology work to improve the lives of those with Huntington’s disease. This rare condition does not have a cure. But medical researchers—including Emory specialists—are making progress toward one.

Diagnosing Huntington's Disease

Emory Healthcare offers many resources to help diagnose the disease. Our knowledgeable team will guide your care with compassion, starting with your diagnosis. To determine if you have the condition and how we can best care for your needs, you may receive:

  • A mental health evaluation
  • Brain imaging and functioning tests, such as MRIs and CTs
  • Neurological tests to check your thinking ability

A dedicated genetic counselor can discuss inheritance risks, genetic testing options and family planning. By drawing and analyzing blood, we can predict if an at-risk family member will develop the condition.

Huntington's Disease Treatments

Once our neurologists gain the necessary details about your condition, we can design a personalized treatment plan. This may include medicines to help with movement, mental health and other concerns. We also provide resources to help you adapt to physical changes in your abilities.

To make ongoing care easier, we offer follow-up visits through telemedicine from the comfort of your home or at Emory at LaGrange – David Road.

More Resources

For more information on Huntington’s disease, you can visit these websites.

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