Huntington's disease, an inherited neurological disorder, affects about 30,000 people in the United States, and another 200,000 are at risk, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance. Huntington's disease starts by affecting patients' cognitive functions and emotional state. As the disease progresses, patients have problems moving. The Mayo Clinic notes that 10 to 30 years after the onset of Huntington's disease, death occurs.
Emotional Problems
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) states that family members may notice mood changes as the first effects of Huntington's disease. Patients may become angry, irritable, passive or apathetic. The emotional state of Huntington's disease patients differs from their normal personalities. The Mayo Clinic notes that depression commonly occurs and may lead to suicide for some patients. The depression causes patients to feel hopeless and sad and may also result in social withdrawal and sleep changes.
Cognitive Changes
Huntington's disease can affect multiple cognitive functions. Patients may have problems with memory or judgment. For example, the NINDS notes that Huntington's disease patients have problems making decisions. Patients may also have difficulty recalling information, forming new memories and answering questions. These cognitive problems may affect the patient's ability to perform certain tasks, such as driving or handling money. Patients may have problems concentrating when working on a task. The Mayo Clinic adds that in the late stage of Huntington's disease, patients may develop dementia, which also affects cognitive function. Besides memory, dementia causes problems with language and social skills. MedlinePlus notes that in the end stage of dementia, patients forget their family members.
Movement Problems
In the early stage of Huntington's disease, patients start showing signs of movement problems, such as clumsiness and balance problems. The coordination and balance problems become worse as the disease progresses. Patients may also have involuntary facial movements, such as grimacing. Huntington's disease can cause chorea, in which patients have jerky, involuntary movements. The NINDS notes that Huntington's disease patients have chorea in their face, trunk, feet and fingers, and the symptoms worsen with anxiety. Patients may also have swallowing problems, rapid eye movements and slurred speech. The Mayo Clinic adds that young Huntington's disease patients may have symptoms that resemble Parkinson's disease, such as tremors, muscle rigidity and slowed movements.
