Glossary
Dopamine blockers
Used as antipsychotics, they work by blocking antagonising dopamine receptors.
Dysphagia
Difficulty swallowing. In this case due to neuron degeneration affecting muscle contraction in the throat.
Full penetrance
A patient shows all the symptoms of the disease. In this case Huntington's paitents with a high number of CAG repeats have and early onset (maybe...
Gain of function mutation
A mutation in the genetic sequence coding for a protein which causes an increase in the activity of the protein concerned.
House-keeping proteins
Proteins produced by the cell to carry out processes needed for basic cell survival and maintenance. These proteins tend to be present in almost...
Hypokinesis
Decreased body mobility.
Mice knockout studies
Studies involving the "turning off" of certain genes to determine the function of those genes by observing the effects on the mice used. Usually by...
MRI scan
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan uses magnetic and radio waves (no x-ray or other dmaging radiation)
Radiowaves are sent through the patients...
PET scan
Positron emission tomography is a nuclear imaging technique that produces a 3D image of a functional processes in the body. The system detects gamma...
Pyschosis
An abnormal condition of the mind which can involve many symptoms including delusions, hallucinations and other unusual mental states displaying a...