The Psychiatrist and Huntington's Disease (Chorea)

Abstract

Huntington's disease is inherited and is usually not detectable until after the affected individual marries and produces children. As genetic knowledge increases there will be a growing awareness of its personal significance to members of kindreds having a history of this disease and more requests for psychiatrists' involvement in genetic counseling. For these reasons it is important that the psychiatric profession be alerted to the particular needs of this group of patients.