| At-risk |
meaning the patient has a parent or sibling who
has tested positive for the HD gene. |
| Anticipation |
occurs when a child develops a disease earlier
than his/her parents. |
| Chorea |
refers to involuntary twitching movements that
first tend to involve the fingers and toes and then progress
to include the whole body |
| Dementia |
refers to a gradual loss of intellectual abilities
such as memory, concentration, problem solving, and judgment. |
| Dominant |
meaning that one need only inherit the gene from
one parent to get the disease. |
| Genetic
testing |
when a person gives a blood sample so that he/she
can be tested for the presence of a specific hereditary disease. |
| Hereditary |
meaning that it is caused by a gene that is passed
from parent to child. |
| Movement
disorder |
The movement disorder associated with HD consists
of two parts: involuntary twitching movements (chorea) and difficulties
with voluntary movements in the form of clumsiness, stiffness,
or trouble with walking. |
| Neurodegenerative |
meaning that it is a progressive condition,
which results from accumulating damage to the nervous system |
| Psychiatric
disturbances |
meaning that the patient may develop depression,
irritability, and apathy. |
| Personality
changes |
may be characterized as abnormally elevated mood
(mania), and obsessive-compulsive symptoms are also common.
|
| Presymptomatic |
when someone is carrying the expanded gene,
but does not yet have symptoms the actual disease. |
| Recessive
|
meaning that one must get the gene from both
sides of the family to have the disease. |
| Symptomatic
|
meaning that a person is carrying the expanded
gene, and showing signs and symptoms of the actual disease. |
