Juvenile HD

The symptoms and characteristics of juvenile Huntington’s disease.

Click here to hear an audio recording of this article.

Juvenile HD is a form of Huntington’s disease that affects children and teenagers. Like the adult form of the disease, juvenile HD is hereditary in nature. Because of its hereditary character and early age of onset, a child with juvenile HD may also have a parent or other close family member who is affected by adult-onset HD at the same time. This tendency to affect multiple generations simultaneously places an even greater strain upon families who are affected by juvenile HD.

• What is juvenile HD?
• What causes the large CAG repeat numbers seen in juvenile HD cases?
• How are large repeat numbers related to the increased severity of juvenile HD?
• How is juvenile HD inherited?
• What are the early signs of juvenile HD?
• What symptoms are common to both juvenile HD and adult-onset HD?
• How are the symptoms of juvenile HD different from those of adult-onset HD?
• What parts of the brain are affected in juvenile HD?
• What treatments are recommended specifically for juvenile HD?

Last Modified: 6-9-04

An educational product of HOPES, not to be used in place of medical care. For more information about HOPES, click on the Logo. To contact HOPES with comments or questions, click here.