Oliver Quarrell - Huntingtons Disease

also available in thefacts series

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Huntingtons disease is a rare and complex illness. This book offers a comprehensive oversight of the illness, its symptoms and treatment as well as an insight to the genetics of the disease and genetic testing. It is a valuable resource for anyone who treats people affected by Huntingtons disease.

Cath Stanley

Chief Executive,

Huntingtons Disease Association, UK

Huntingtons Disease: The Facts explains key concepts about Huntingtons disease in a user-friendly way that can be understood without the need for a medical or science background. In twelve concise chapters it covers topics ranging from the genetics and clinical manifestation of the condition to what laboratory tests mean and the direction of the latest clinical research. The latest edition of this much appreciated book has now been updated to include important advances in this fast-moving field. It represents essential reading for families with the condition, but would provide an ideal introduction for anyone new to this area.

Anne Rosser

Chair of the Executive Committee,

European Huntingtons Disease Network

This concise and accessible book is an essential gateway for anyone who seeks to improve their understanding of Huntingtons disease. Drawing on his extensive experience as a geneticist and HD clinician, Dr Quarrell has updated The Facts to reflect the rapid changes in understanding and managing Huntingtons disease in the context of the current global clinical research effort to find disease modifying treatments. I do not think there is a better introduction to this complex condition.

John Eden

CEO, Scottish Huntingtons Association

I would like to thank Oxford University Press for agreeing to publish a third edition of this book. I was pleased to be able to write a second edition but with time it has become dated. Looking back at the earlier versions of the book it is interesting to note how the focus has changed. The gene was identified in 1993 and the focus was on predictive testing. This remains an important clinical activity. For well over two decades the focus has been, and for that matter continues to be, studying the function of protein huntingtin and its interactions with other proteins. This led to some clinical trials. Despite this huge research activity, treatment continues to be symptomatic and supportive. Whilst it is important to provide good supportive care, the ultimate goal is to have a treatment which alters the natural history of HD; this means slowing down the disease progression and/or delaying the onset.

For the present, the focus is on the study of huntingtin lowering treatments. It will require a little more time to know if they are going to be effective. I hope this small book will continue to be a source of information to families and carers. Only time will tell if future editions can address the issue of treatments which alter the natural history.

I would like to thank my colleague Martha Nance for a contribution on treatment and to Alan Adam and Gillian McNab for new perspectives which have been included in this edition.