Symptomatic Treatment and Management of Huntington's Disease: An Overview

5 Abstract: Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited disease of the central nervous system that usually has its onset between 30 and 50 years of age. The patient has progressive dementia with bizarre involvantary movements of chorea. The disease slowly progresses and death is usually due to an intercurrent infection. Huntington's disease affects someone's ability to think, talk and move by destroying cells in the basal ganglia, the part of the brain that controls these capacities. A patient with Huntington's disease may present with neurological or psychiatric symptoms, or both. The movement disorder may begin with simple twitching or jerking or with clumsiness or coordination problems. Huntington's disease caused by the expansion of the ployglutamine tract in the N-terminus of the HD protein (Huntingtin). Although there is currently no cure for this disease, there are ways to manage symptoms effectively. Symptomatic treatment of Huntington's disease involves use of Dopamine antagonists, presynaptic dopamine depleters, Antidepressants, Tranquillizers, Anxiolytic Benzodiazepines, Anticonvulsants and Antibiotics. Several medications including baclofen, idebenone and vitamin E have studied in clinical trials with limited samples. In the present article, we have concentrated on clinical features, diagnosis, symptomatic approaches and other possible therapies involved in the management of Huntington's disease. The aim of present article is to provide in depth knowledge about symptomatic treatment and other therapies involved in the management of Huntington's disease. This article reviews current therapeutic agents for treatment of the symptoms of Huntington's disease.