By Matters India Reporter
Bengaluru, Nov 21, 2019: A multi-specialty hospital in Bengaluru, southern India, on November 20 launched the state-of-the-art treatment for Huntington Disease, a genetic disorder that causes nerve cells in the brain to break down.
The “Center of Excellence,” the first of its kind in India, caters to such patients across India and abroad who have been suffering from progressive brain disorder that causes uncontrolled movements, emotional problems, and loss of thinking ability.
Doctor Somesh Mittal, CEO and Managing Director of Vikram Hospital in Bengaluru, announced that his institution was the first multispecialty hospital in Bengaluru to introduce the special care facility on Huntington disease.
“The disease is challenging if not detected early adding significant pressure on the individuals as well as their families. Finding specialized care can be very difficult at times. Most patients currently travel outside India to find treatment. With this launch at our hospital, patients can now receive expert care they need all in one place,” Mittal added.
The hospital offers patients expert care and support from pre-diagnosis through late stages of the disease.
Doctor LK Prashanth, a specialist of Parkinson’s disease and Movement Disorders, heads the specialized clinic for Huntington’s disease. He said the hospital will feature a multidisciplinary approach to care that will aim to be a one stop shop for patients.
The clinic in Vikram Hospital comprises of Movement Disorders Specialist, Psychiatrist, Nurse Practitioners, Neuropsychologist, Physiotherapist and Nutritionist. The clinic will run the fourth Wednesday of every month with prior appointments.
Huntington disease stems from genetic factors typically inherited from parents. Most patients belong to the age group of 40 to 60 years, and about 5 to 10 percent of cases are seen in the younger age group.
The disease seems to have affected between 20,000 to 40,000 people in India and more than 200,000 might be at risk of being affected. Doctor Prashanth has noted an increase in the number of people coming to specialist movement disorders clinics in India. They require more specialized attention and care, he added.
“Huntington disease is a major concern today, as there is a concept of “Anticipation,” which means the next generation develops symptoms much earlier than the previous generations”, says said the doctor who is the Consultant Movement Disorders Specialist at Vikram Hospital.
Doctor Anand Jayaraman, Consultant Psychiatrist in the same hospital, says some symptoms of the disease “could be behavioral (like depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts) or movement disorders (like restlessness movements) or cognitive (like difficulty in organizing, loss of flexibility, impulsive).”
As the disease progresses, symptoms become more obvious, including uncontrollable jerky movements and drastic personality changes and by later stages, they become completely dependent for all activities, Jayaraman added.
The center at the Vikram hospital collaborates with various research labs and scholars across India and abroad to get best of the therapies to the Indian Huntington’s disease patients, claims a press release.