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 persons functional abilities and usually results in movement, thinking (cognitive) and psychiatric disorders.

Huntington’s Disease (HD) was first recognised as an inherited disorder in 1872, when a 22 year old American doctor, George Huntington, wrote a paper called On Chorea. His paper was later published in the Medical and Surgical Reporter of Philadelphia and the disorder he described became known as Huntington’s Chorea.

“Chorea” comes from the Latin and Greek words meaning chorus or a group of dances. The term was given to so many called “dancing disorders” that were noticed in the Middle Ages. In those days, people with chorea, the involuntary muscle jerks and twitches characteristic of HD, were often thought to be possessed by devils. It is believed that at least one of the alleged “witches” executed in Salem, Massachusetts in the 1690’s had HD. It is highly probably that other HD sufferers, were in the past confined to mental institutes rather than treated for their illness.

Today the term Huntington’s (or Huntington) Disease is more commonly used than Huntington’s Chorea.

Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, chronic adult hereditary chorea was poorly understood because people who had the HD genes often died before the symptoms could develop. Now that we live longer, the HD gene has more time to express itself.

The discovery of the HD gene in 1993 was a major milestone in the history of HD. The scientific community had worked hard to find the gene and the process was long and tedious, requiring great patience and perseverance. However the job is not over until an effective treatment is found. The scientists working on HD today are passionately committed to finding a cure. It is hoped that one day researchers will find the answer to the puzzle of HD and support groups will no longer need to exist.

Until then, support groups worldwide will continue the need to raise money for research, support services and an improved awareness and understanding of HD in the wider community.