A human being’s body faces several changes in its entire existence, and it undergoes various transformations. These transformations may either be physical or mental.
Considering the brain alone, a human brain at a certain age group undergoes changes that lead to various changes. Two of these diseases are 1. Huntington’s disease, and 2. Parkinson’s disease.
Key Takeaways
- Huntington’s disease is a genetic disorder caused by a single defective gene, while Parkinson’s is a degenerative disorder caused by genetic and environmental factors.
- Huntington’s disease affects the body and the mind, while Parkinson’s disease primarily affects the body’s movement.
- Huntington’s disease has a more rapid progression and earlier onset than Parkinson’s.
Huntingtons vs Parkinsons
Huntington’s is a genetic disease or disorder that is inherited when the offspring has an abnormal gene in their body, causing mood swings, lack of coordination, indecisive behaviour, etc. Parkinson’s is a disease that occurs when a person has less production of dopamine from the nerve cells to the brain.
The nerve cells present in the human brain gradually break down and affect the person physically and mentally. It also affects a person’s emotional capabilities.
There are several symptoms and cures for this disease. Appropriate treatment at the correct time must be taken.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Huntingtons | Parkinsons |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The genetic disorder or disease that is inherited from a parent to an offspring due to the presence of an abnormal gene in the offspring’s body is known as Huntington’s disease. | The disease that occurs to a person due to the less production of dopamine from the nerve cells from the brain due to either genetic composition or environmental impacts is known as Parkinson’s disease. |
| Type | Genetic disorder | Non-Genetic disorder |
| Causes | Presence of abnormal Genes. | Lack in production of dopamine from nerve cells. |
| Symptoms | Change in moods, triggering in mood swings, lack of coordination, slow understanding towards things, indecisive behaviour etc. | Loss of smell, Difficulty in digestion, change in voice, poor And minuscule handwriting, change in posture, movements become slow, clumsiness etc. |
| Treatment | No permanent cure is available but a patient can try several ways prescribed by the doctors to cope with the disease. | Various treatments are available. |
What is Huntingtons?
The genetic disorder or disease that is inherited from a parent to an offspring due to the presence of an abnormal gene in the offspring’s body is known as Huntington’s disease.
In Huntington’s disease, the nerve cells that are present in the human brain gradually break down and affect the person physically and mentally. It also affects a person’s emotional capabilities.
The adult onset is a common variant of the disease. On the other hand, the early onset is the less common variant of the disease.
The disease is a progressive one and cannot be stopped as there is no cure for it. However, a person can follow therapy or medications to come with it.
What is Parkinsons?
The disease that occurs in a person due to the less production of dopamine from the nerve cells of the brain due to either genetic composition or environmental impacts is known as Parkinson’s disease.
Appropriate treatment at the correct time must be taken. People are affected physically as well as mentally and emotionally when they are diagnosed with this disease.
The symptoms of this disease include anosmia or the lack of smell; difficulty in digestion, which eventually leads to constipation, changes noticed in the voice, changes in posture, slowing down of movements, arms and legs stiffened body balancing issues, anxious behaviour hallucinations etc.
There are various treatments and cures for this disease like introducing changes in lifestyle, medications from doctors, therapies, etc.
Main Differences Between Huntingtons and Parkinsons
- Huntington’s disease can not be cured. On the other hand, Parkinson’s disease can be cured.
- Huntington’s disease can not be prevented as it is a genetic disorder. On the other hand, Parkinson’s disease can be prevented.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673607601111
- https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199810153391607
Last Updated : 26 August, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
The article is very well structured and the tone is neutral, which is good in scientific articles.
The table you provided is very useful for those who want to understand the main differences between the two diseases.
It’s amazing how much there is to learn about the human brain. The more I read about it, the less I feel I know!
I think the same. The human brain is such a complex and interesting topic.
I feel exactly the same. It’s fascinating.
Very interesting, I knew very little about these diseases before reading this post.
I’m sorry, I disagree. This article is too simple and didn’t go into enough detail about these diseases.
I see your point, but I think it’s helpful in explaining these diseases to a wide audience.
I agree, I think it’s a good starting point for anyone interested in these conditions.
I’ve always been intrigued by neurodegenerative diseases, and this article definitely increased my curiosity.
Yeah, reading this makes you want to learn even more about the subject.
A very well-explained article. Thanks for sharing such informative content!
Couldn’t agree more. This is definitely a helpful and educative content!
I was just going to say that. Really informative post.