FAQs

HD is a hereditary brain disease caused by a mutation in one gene in a person’s DNA. This mutation affects an area deep in the brain that helps control movement, mood, and thinking.

Learn more about HD

HD is an inherited genetic condition and can be identified through specialized testing. Depending on your situation, testing may be done before symptoms appear or after symptoms develop.

Learn more about hd diagnosis

HD affects everyone differently. Cognitive and emotional symptoms may appear before uncontrollable movements, but since chorea is the most visible symptom, it is often recognized as one of the first signs of HD.

Find out about HD Chorea

Everyone is different, but symptoms usually start to appear between the ages of 30-50. If symptoms appear before 20 years of age, this is called juvenile, or early-onset, HD.

See the stages of HD

HD progresses differently in everyone, so life expectancy depends upon when symptoms first appear and how quickly the disease progresses. On average, people with HD live 10-30 years or more from the time they were diagnosed.

See the stages of HD

HD can cause emotional changes like depression or irritability, cognitive changes like memory or concentration problems, and motor changes like uncontrollable body movements called chorea.

Discover symptoms of HD

Chorea is a movement disorder related to the release of dopamine in the brain. An abnormal increase in dopamine—a brain chemical that helps control movement—can cause uncontrollable movements throughout the body, like twitching and jerking.

Understand chorea

Chorea is one symptom of HD. Often, when a person with HD has chorea, it’s called Huntington’s chorea.

Discover more
about HD chorea

HD may be suspected based on certain symptoms, such as changes in movement, thinking, or mood, as well as family history. Chorea is the most common symptom of HD, and uncontrollable movements are usually seen early on. However, since other conditions can also cause irregular, uncontrollable movements, genetic testing is required to confirm an HD diagnosis.

Learn about diagnosing hd chorea

Not really. Chorea is defined as uncontrollable body movements. It typically appears as unintentional movements such as twitching or jerking, fidgeting, or speech problems.

Learn More

There is no cure for chorea associated with HD, but medicine is available to help manage the uncontrollable movements. Find out about a treatment that can help.

Discover a treatment for HD chorea

There is no cure for HD and symptoms progressively worsen over time, but there are treatments available to manage the symptoms.

Learn about managing symptoms of HD

The Huntington’s Disease Society of America certifies clinics as Centers of Excellence if they meet their standards for compiling comprehensive care teams. Discover Centers of Excellence and additional resources to help support you through your journey with HD.

Find Support

There are many support channels for people with HD, their care partners, and their families. They range from finding treatment and testing, to education and resources of all types.

Find support for hd

There are a number of strategies and resources that care partners can use to help with their care journey. Discover steps to help manage stress as well as a suite of links to support channels and groups that are here to help.

Find care partner support

Find a full series of stories from people living with HD and care partners alike to inspire hope within the HD community.

Explore stories of hope

The Independence Planning Tool is a great resource to help you decide when and how to address HD chorea. Access the tool to begin planning before uncontrollable movements appear or progress to help prepare for the road ahead.

Access the independence planning tool