-Assignment should be discuss in paragraph form no numbered list or bulletin
-Discuss each parts separately, do not link or compare part 1 with part 2
-Discuss if you agree or disagree with each parts or stands
TOPIC that was given for discussion:If Huntington’s disease ran in your family, would you opt for genetic testing? Why or why not?
PART 1
Huntington’s disease is an inherited disease that causes the degenerative breakdown of the brain’s nerve cells. Huntington’s disease has an impact on a person’s ability to function and ultimately results in a person developing movement, cognitive, and psychiatric disorders (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2020). There are some treatments to help manage the symptoms of Huntington’s disease, however, these treatments can not prevent the physical, mental, or behavioral decline that comes with the disease. Because Huntington’s disease is an inherited disease there is genetic testing available to see if a person has the defective gene. If the test comes back positive that person could be faced with some difficult choices. Getting the testing done could also be a difficult choice for some because then begins the waiting for the inevitable degeneration. It is always hard to say this is what I would do in a certain situation until you are actually in that place because the emotions of it could change a person’s views on the event. As of now, I believe if I was put in the situation where I could possibly have the defective gene that causes Huntington’s disease I would want to have the genetic testing done. This is for a few reasons. I would want to make a plan regarding having children if that was something I wanted to do to make sure I did not pass the gene down. Prenatal testing for Huntington’s disease can be performed as well as using in vitro fertilization using a donor or adoption. I would also want to make sure I had a life plan for when I did start to succumb to the disease and start degenerating more and more. And finally, I would want to make sure I left nothing I wanted to do in my life incomplete. I would want to make sure every experience and event I wanted to do was done and that I completely lived my life to the fullest. But, as I said early, it is easy to say what you would do in a hypothetical setting, it is not until you have to face the real-life tough decision that a person would know whether or not they would get the genetic testing.
References
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2020, April 14). Huntington’s disease – Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/huntingtons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20356117
PART 2
Huntington’s disease is a disease that is passed down from parents to their offspring’s and it causes damages to the nerve cells inside the brain (Ramond, F., et al., 2019). This disease causes “choreiform movements, behavioral manifestations, and cognitive impairment” which can then result in “fatal loss of motor and cognitive skills” (Ramond, F., et al., 2019). There is no cure for this disease and the survival times tend to usually be around 18 years after it starts affecting the brain (Ramond, F., et al., 2019). Treatment for this disease that tends to work is pharmacological therapy along with care from your loved ones (Ramond, F., et al., 2019).
If Huntington’s disease ran in my family, I would make sure to get a genetic test and test my future child as well. There is a 50% chance of this genetic disease being passed on to you from your parents and a 50% chance of you passing it on to your children if this disease runs in your family (Ramond, F., et al., 2019). With that high of a chance, I would recommend for everyone to get tested if anyone in their family has it. The type of predictive testing that is done to measure this disease follows a specific protocol that is aimed to avoid giving the participants false results and help them prepare for the future if they do have it (Ramond, F., et al., 2019). Although there are many appointments and tests done to predict if someone has this disease it is worth being aware and prepare for the future if you are at risk for this disease.
Reference
Ramond, F., Quadrio, I., Vavasseur, L., Chaumet, H., Boyer, F., Bost, M., Roman. E. (2019). Predictive testing for Huntington disease over 24 years: Evolution of the profile of the participants and analysis of symptoms. PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6785454/
