Recessive

A term used to describe the degree of penetrance of an allele relative to other alleles of the same gene. A recessive trait is only expressed when there are two recessive alleles present. If a dominant allele and recessive allele are both present, the dominant trait will be expressed instead.

Repeat region

The part of DNA where a certain codon is repeated many times. Expansions sometimes occur during replication of repeat regions. In Huntington's disease, the repeat region involves the CAG codon.

Rigidity

Stiffness or tenseness of muscles; inability to bend or be bent.

Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)

Composed of many nucleotide sub-units arranged in a long chain and associated with the control of cellular chemical activities; carries the information necessary to make proteins

Schizophrenia

A psychiatric disorder that usually involves problems with perceptions or expressions of reality, significant social or occupational problems, disorganized thinking, and delusions or hallucinations.

Self-directed planning 

A process that explores a person’s needs, goals and aspirations and develops a plan for how they may best be met. Principles for self-directed planning are provided in the Disability Act.

Semantic memory

Memory we use to store facts and concept-based knowledge with no respect to the specific experiences or settings where we learned the facts.

Sequencing

The process of determining the order of nucleotide "letters" making up a segment of DNA

Sex chromosome

Sex chromosomes determine the sex of an individual. In humans, the two sex chromosomes happen to make up the last (23rd) pair of chromosomes

Sex-linked

Used to describe a gene or disease whose inheritance is related to a person's sex chromosomes.

Shared Supported Accommodation

Program aims to provide high-quality, supported housing in the community. Accommodation is usually offered in shared housing with up to five other people with disabilities.

Side effects

Problems that occur when treatment causes undesired effects, too much of the desired effect, or other problems occurring in addition to the desired therapeutic effect.

Spinal cord

The major pathway for information travelling between the brain and the skin, muscles, and joints of the body.

Speech pathologist

A person trained to assess and treat people who have difficulty communicating and also assess those who have difficulties swallowing food and drink.

Stem cells

Cells that have the ability to divide for an indefinite time and to give rise to specialized cells.

Stress

The effects of psychosocial and environmental factors on physical and mental well-being

Suicide ideation

Thoughts about fatally harming one's self

Support coordination 

A service that can be purchased as part of a person’s plan, to coordinate and monitor their support arrangements.

Support plan 

A support plan is a requirement of the Disability Act where a person is receiving an ongoing disability service. A support plan documents the goals of the person with a disability and describes how the support from the disability service provider is intended to address their goals.

Symptoms

Changes in the body or its functions, experienced by the patient and indicative of disease.

Symptomatic

An individual that is displaying clinic signs/symptoms of Huntington’s disease.

Target Group Assessment

The process whereby individuals are assessed to have a disability in accordance with the guidelines/eligibility criteria of the Disability Act 2006.

Temporal lobe

A part of the brain associated with memory, hearing, and perception.

Tetrabenazine

A dopamine depletor used to treat chorea

Trachea

The main trunk of the system of tubes by which air passes between the mouth and the lungs. Also known as the ‘windpipe’.

Trait

A physical characteristic brought about by the expression of a gene or many genes. Examples of traits are height, eye colour, and the ability to roll your tongue. Variations in these characteristics are dependent upon the particular alleles an individual has for the genes determining the trait.

Tremor

A quivering, involuntary movement of a part or parts of the body.