§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what research is being undertaken into the early diagnosis and treatment of Huntington's chorea; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneMethods for the early diagnosis and treatment of Huntington's chorea will probably be developed only when more is known about the primary lesion and pathology of the disease. Investigations into the chemical basis of Huntington's chorea have been carried out in the Medical Research Council's neurochemical pharmacology unit, Cambridge; these have already shown that brain cells involved in the synthesis and release of particular neurotransmitters are affected in the disease. This research continues. It is possible that other research in neurobiology currently supported by the council may lead—directly or indirectly—to advances in diagnosing or treating this disease.