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Huntington Disease — NCLEX Cheat Sheet

Autosomal dominant → chorea + dementia

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👤 By the CinnaRN Clinical Content Team 🕐 Updated 2026-07-11 🏷️ Physiological Adaptation 🔖 Free to read, print, and share

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Use this quick-reference guide to spot, treat, and prevent Huntington Disease on the NCLEX. Keep it handy during review and on exam day!

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Mech

Key facts

Autosomal dominant, CAG repeat
Basal ganglia degeneration
Onset age 30-50

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Signs

What to look for

Chorea: jerky involuntary moves
Progressive dementia
Mood swings, depression

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Do

Nursing actions

Aspiration precautions
High-calorie soft diet
Safety: pad, prevent injury

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Report

Notify / act now

No cure → supportive care
Suicide risk, genetic counseling

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Quick Tip

Autosomal-dominant inheritance: each offspring of an affected parent has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the defective gene, and genetic testing can confirm the diagnosis.

📖 Related Topics

Hypokalemia Hyperkalemia Hyponatremia Heart Failure

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