Huntington's disease

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Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

After onset of the disease, signs and symptoms continue until death. Though the signs and symptoms vary from person to person, vital functions, such as swallowing, eating, speaking and walking, usually degenerate over time. Depression is common in Huntington's disease, and some people are at risk of suicide. However, death generally occurs as a result of complications of the disease, such as a fall or an infection like pneumonia.

References
  1. Huntington's disease: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/huntington/detail_huntington.htm. Accessed March 27, 2009.
  2. Huntington's disease. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec16/ch221/ch221e.html#sec16-ch221-ch221e-49. Accessed March 27, 2009.
  3. SuttonBrown MA, et al. Huntington disease: Clinical features and diagnosis. http://uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 12, 2009.
  4. Learning about Huntington's disease. National Human Genome Research Institute. http://www.genome.gov/page.cfm?pageID=10001215. Accessed March 27, 2009.
  5. Trushina E, et al. Mutant huntingtin inhibits clathrin-independent endocytosis and causes accumulation of cholesterol in vitro and in vivo. Human Molecular Genetics. 2006;15:3578.
  6. Katsuno M, et al. Getting a handle on Huntington's disease: The case for cholesterol. Nature Medicine. 2009;15:253.
  7. FDA approves first drug for treatment of chorea in Huntington's disease. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01874.html. Accessed March 28, 2009.
  8. Kim SU. Stem cell-based cell therapy in neurological diseases: A review. Journal of Neuroscience Research. In press. Accessed March 28, 2009.
  9. ACR16. Neurosearch.com. http://www.neurosearch.com/Default.aspx?ID=752. Accessed March 28, 2009.

DS00401

May 8, 2009

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