BENGALURU: Satish (40), a mechanic, was recently diagnosed with Huntington disease, a rare genetic disorder that causes nerve cells in the brain to break down. He went for a check-up only after he found it extremely difficult to work as a mechanic.
The disease has predominantly been in Western countries but now many cases are seen in India as well. Dr Prashanth L K, Parkinson’s disease and movement disorder specialist at Vikram Hospital, Bengaluru, has been getting two cases of Huntingtons disease a month. “Some of the symptoms could be behavioural, movement disorders or cognitive. As the disease progresses, symptoms include uncontrollable jerky movements and drastic personality changes,” Dr Prashanth added. Vikram Hospital has started a Centre of Excellence for Huntington Disease, which is open on all Wednesdays.