Huntington's Disease In 1872 Dr. George Huntington published his account of what he called "hereditary chorea". This is the first description of the disease that now bears his name. Huntington's Disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease that results in progressive motor, emotional, and cognitive impairments. A terminal disease, it is characterized by chorea (uncontrollable jerking and writhing movements) and gradual worsening cognitive and emotional control caused by the destruction of groups of cells in the brain called basal ganglia. Huntington's Disease is found in all races all over the world, but is more prevalent in Northern European populations when