It will help to understand the meningitis and its nursing care.

1. Hutington’s Disease
Mr Yogendra Mehta
Lecturer, KMTRC

2. Introduction
• Huntington's disease is an inherited disease that causes the progressive
breakdown (degeneration) of nerve cells in the brain.
• Huntington's disease has a broad impact on a person's functional abilities
and usually results in movement, thinking (cognitive) and psychiatric
disorders.
• Most people with Huntington's disease develop signs and symptoms in their
30s or 40s. But the disease may emerge earlier or later in life.
• When the disease develops before age 20, the condition is called
juvenile Huntington's disease.

3. Causes
• Inherited defect in a single gene.

4. Clinical Features
Movement disorders
Include both involuntary movement problems and impairments in
voluntary movements, such as:
• Involuntary jerking or writhing movements (chorea)
• Muscle problems, such as rigidity or muscle contracture (dystonia)
• Slow or abnormal eye movements
• Impaired gait, posture and balance
• Difficulty with the physical production of speech or swallowing

5. Contd…….
Cognitive disorders
• Difficulty organizing, prioritizing or focusing on tasks
• Lack of flexibility or the tendency to get stuck on a thought, behavior
or action (perseveration)
• Lack of impulse control that can result in outbursts, acting without thinking
and sexual promiscuity
• Lack of awareness of one's own behaviors and abilities
• Slowness in processing thoughts or ''finding'' words
• Difficulty in learning new information

6. Contd…….
Psychiatric disorders
• Depression
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Mania

7. Diagnosis
Neurological examination
• Motor symptoms
• Reflexes
• Muscle strength
• Muscle tone
• Coordination
• Balance
• Sensory symptoms
• Sense of touch
• Vision and eye movement
• Hearing

8. Contd…….
Psychiatric symptoms
• Mental status
• Mood
Neuropsychological testing
• Memory
• Reasoning
• Language function
Genetic Testing

9. Treatment
No treatments can alter the course of Huntington's disease.
Medications for movement disorders
• Tetrabenazine
• Antipsychotic drugs, such as haloperidol (Haldol) and chlorpromazine
• Other drugs: amantadine, levetiracetam (Keppra, others) and
clonazepam (Klonopin) to controll chorea
• Antidepressant drugs: fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem) and sertraline
(Zoloft).
• Mood stabilizing drugs: valproate (Depacon), carbamazepine
(Carbatrol, Epitol, Tegretol) and lamotrigine (Lamictal).

10. Contd…..
Psychotherapy
Speech therapy
Physical therapy
Occupational therapy
• Handrails at home
• Assistive devices for activities such as bathing and dressing
• Eating and drinking utensils adapted for people with limited fine
motor skills