Huntington’s disease

If either parent had HD, the person’s chance would be 50-50. Individual will not develop huntington’s disease but the next generation is at risk.
In the past, no laboratory test could positively identify people carrying the HD gene–or those fated to develop HD–before the onset of symptoms. That situation changed in 1983, when a team of scientists supported by the NINDS located the first genetic marker for HD–the initial step in developing a laboratory test for the disease.
Organizations such as the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (see listing on the Information Resources card in the back pocket of this brochure) may be able to refer the family to facilities that have met standards set for the care of individuals with HD. Very few of these exist however, and even fewer have experience with individuals with juvenile or early-onset HD who require special care because of their age and symptoms.