Behavior Presentation Evaluation

Genetics, Brain Structure, and Behavior Presentation Evaluation
Ryan Banta
Psy/340
June 13, 2011
Kristin Merritte

Genetics, Brain Structure, and Behavior Presentation Evaluation
In the third week of Biological psychology, or at is otherwise known, Psy340, each team in the class was assigned to do a presentation of an illness. While the team I was on concentrated on Bipolar disorder, the other teams chose to do something else entirely, which was just fine since it would be pointless doing an evaluation. After looking at the presentation that the other teams had done, I had decided on Team C’s Presentation of Huntington’s Disease. The main reason I chose to do the presentation on Huntington’s disease that I know next to nothing on Huntington’s
Although characterized as an “adult on-set” disease, it can affect children as well (Medterms, 1998). Huntington’s is a genetic disorder that main affects people in their 40’s and 50’s (Team C, 2011). I mainly affects the brain which leads to a gradual loss of control of movement along with memory loss and a loss of mental ability (Team C, 2011). I suppose you could say it is essentially a breakdown of the brain and the functions that are accompanied with it (Team C, 2011). With Huntington’s disease comes certain personality changes and depression along with some other mental illnesses (Team C, 2011). As of now there is no known cure but there have been a few case studies researching the possibility of a cure (Team C, 2011). Huntington’s disease has a pattern known as “autosomal dominance” (Team C, 2011). Autosomes Are the chromosomes inside the cells of the body aside from the sex chromosomes (Team C, 2011). This is where our body’s genetic information is stored and located (Team C, 2011). The genetic abnormality that is normally associated with Huntington’s disease is located on the fourth chromosome and the three bases arranged along the chromosome happen in a repeated sequence (Team C, 2011). An excess amount of the repeats leads to Huntington’s disease (Team C, 2011). Any more than 35 reps of this particular sequence is often attributed to Huntington’s but
It is known that changes happen to the personality or even the mood with Huntington’s disease (Team C, 2011). This is actually the earliest detectable signs of this disease (Team C, 2011). Issues with memory and unusual uncontrollable movements that occur usually come later (Team C, 2011). The personality changes can occur as early as 10 years before the actual abnormal movements are even noticed but the symptoms will become progressively worse at that point (Team C, 2011). On average, Death due to Huntington’s disease occurs anywhere from 15 to 20 years after the first symptoms surface (Team C, 2011). This is a result of health decline and a cause of death could be choking on food due to difficulty swallowing (Team C, 2011). The main area of the brain that is affected by Huntington’s disease is in the Basal Ganglia (Team C, 2011). More specifically the Neostriatum which is comprised of the nucleus and the Putamen (Team C, 2011). The Basal Ganglia is located within the cerebral hemispheres in the telecephalon region of the brain (Team C, 2011).
As it has been said previously, Huntington’s disease is hereditary (Team C, 2011). That being said, if you inherit a copy of the gene for the disease from either parent, you will develop it at some point in your life (Team C, 2011). If you have one parent that