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, movement, thinking (cognitive) and psychiatric disorders.

Huntington’s disease symptoms usually develops between the ages of 30 and 35, but can appear as early as 2 or as late as 80. HD more often runs a full terminal course in 10 to 30 years, however the earlier in life the disease is observed, the faster the disease progresses. Bedridden patients in the final stages of HD often die of complications such as heart failure or pneumonia