Huntington's Disease

Have you or your family member been told there's simply no way to treat Huntington's Disease? While the disease causes nerves in the brain to break down leading to involuntary movements and mental issues that affect your ability to do daily tasks, that doesn't mean there's no treatment available. 

Nebraska Medicine's multidisciplinary Huntington's Disease Clinic focuses on helping you manage the symptoms, in order for you to live as good a life as possible. Unfortunately because this is an extremely rare disorder, neurologists don't always know how best to treat it. But our clinic is able to provide the best expertise in the region.

WHY NEBRASKA MEDICINE FOR HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE CARE?

Our Expert Team Approach

Doctors and other specialists meet together every Monday to jointly review your situation, providing true multidisciplinary care. This also means if you're coming in from out of town, normally we can schedule all your appointments on the same day. Our patients come from not just Nebraska but all the surrounding states and therefore we are accustomed to trying to batch your appointments together.

You'll Be Matched Up With Experts in Helping You Control Specific Symptoms

If you're struggling for example with anxiety, depression, psychosis, obsessive compulsive disorders and cognitive problems, we might team you up with a psychiatrist or neuropsychologist.

If your symptoms are movement or speech-related, a neurologist for movement and speech issues might help diagnosis your situation, while physical, occupational, and speech therapists would be included to manage movement and speech problems.

Guidance on Whether You Should be Tested

If one of your parents had the disease, you have a 50 percent chance of developing it yourself. Occasionally, some people develop the mutation even if they do not have a parent with the disease. While we can do genetic testing to determine if you are a carrier of the gene, we also walk you through all the ramifications of knowing, so you can make an informed decision before being tested. The test itself typically costs $500 and is covered by most insurance carriers.

We are a Huntington's Disease Society of America Center of Excellence

That means we provide an "elite multidisciplinary approach to Huntington’s disease care and research," according to the Huntington's Disease Society of America. See a list of all the centers of excellence.