The Ethical Dilemmas Of Genetic Testing For Huntington's Disease
The Ethical Dilemmas of Genetic Testing for Huntington's Disease
INTRODUCTION
Huntington's Disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant, progressive, neurodegenerative disorder (Walker, 2007 and Harmon, 2007). The gene that causes the disease is located on the fourth chromosome and causes an abnormal number of repeats in the patient's genetic code (Harmon, 2007). Huntington's Disease can have devastating effects on patients' quality of life. The first symptoms of HD generally start between the ages of 30 and 45 and patients are typically asymptomatic prior to this time (Terrenoire, 1992 and Walker, 2007). However, the disease progresses with subtle changes in motor control, personality, and cognition. Patients eventually develop distinct un-coordination, loss of voluntary muscle contraction, and cognitive deficits, leaving them unable to walk, talk, move, or think independently (Walker, 2007 and Harmon, 2007). In general, more abnormal genetic repeats on the patient's chromosome......
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