Question

In reality, the pathophysiology of Huntington’s Disease is complex and damage/dysfunction can’t be confined to one area of the basal ganglia. However, given that patients with HD show uncontrolled movements, I want you to propose two alterations to normal basal ganglia physiology (something along the lines of “death of neurons in area X” or “increased excitability of neurons in area Y”) that would each (on its own) theoretically lead to HD symptoms. For each answer, explain why this change would lead to typical HD symptoms. Your two proposed alterations and explanations should only focus on the direct basal ganglia pathway to avoid too much confusion.