Possible+Cures+&+Current+Research

TREATMENT AND THERAPY
There is no cure for Huntington's disease, but treating the symptoms is one way to make living with Huntington's a lot easier. One of the symptoms associated with Huntington's disease are involuntary movements. These movements can be treated with medication such as Tetrabenazine and Xenazine. These two medications were the first two medications to treat this specific symptom. Other medications include Haloperidol and Perphenazine. These medications work by blocking dopamine receptors. Dopamine is a chemical substance produced from the brain and a neurotransmitter. In the case of Huntington's Disease, the mutated protein in the brain attacks and kills the cells in basal ganglia. The basal ganglia is just basically the region of the brain where the D1 and D2 dopamine receptors are. There are high concentrations of dopamine in this area. The basal ganglia controls many body controls such as movement and memory.

The other symptoms can be treated with medication. Medications like Sertaline treat depression that is associated with Huntington's. Tranquilizers and anti-psychotic drugs can be used to treat hallucinations, violent outbursts, and jerky movements. Speech therapy is recommended for patients with Huntington's. Since patients with Huntington's have trouble pronouncing complex sentences, speech therapy is highly recommended. Physical therapy is also recommended. Under physical therapy, the muscles of the patients relax and prevent the patient from falling. Scientists working on stem cell research have found a hope that stem cell research may be used in the future to repair damage done to the brain by Huntington's. The dying cells in the brain are replaced with fetal cells that can regenerate themselves.

All though there is no complete cure for Huntington's, studies show that changing the chemical pathway of the disease can effectively slow down the disorder, therefore resulting in a longer life span.