The family of a patient with Huntington’s Disease (HD), a rare inherited disorder that causes progressive neuro-degeneration, donated her brain to NIMHANS for research last week. Doctors said this is the first brain donation at NIMHANS of a patient with HD.
The adult-onset disease attacks areas of the brain that help to control voluntary (intentional) movement, as well as other areas. People living with HD develop uncontrollable dance-like movements (chorea) and abnormal body postures, as well as problems with behaviour, emotion, thinking, and personality.
The family of the deceased patient Meenakshi said life was normal for her, a bank employee, till the onset of HD was clinically diagnosed in June 2010. “She continued to work till February 2017 after which she was unable to function effectively and was convinced to take voluntary retirement. This was after serving the bank for nearly 30 years. This impacted her mental status and her health deteriorated,” said her husband Gopal K.
