A hereditary disease of the central nervous system.

Huntington's disease, also called Huntingtons chorea, causes intellectual impairment, emotional disturbances, and the uncontrollable arm, leg, and body movements that are its most characteristic feature. It is named for George Huntington, an American physician who first wrote about the disease in 1872. As a child, he had heard the condition described by his physician father and seen some patients affected by it. The incidence of Huntington's disease is estimated at between 4 and 10 out of every 100,000 births. About 25,000 Americans have been diagnosed with the disease, and over 100,000 are thought to have a family history that puts them at risk. Onset is usually between the ages of 35 and 45 but can occur in individuals younger than 20 and over 60. In the United States Huntington's disease became familiar to many people when popular folk singer Woody Guthrie became ill with...