Treatment of Huntington's disease Using Medieval Iranian Practice Abstract

Huntington''s disease (HD) is thought to be due to genetically-programmed degeneration of neurons in certain areas of the brain. This degeneration causes uncontrolled movements, loss of intellectual faculties, and emotional disturbances. It is along time since the disease started tormenting human beings, and to date, conventional medications have failed to slow down the progression of HD. Although, the majority of currently-developed drugs may cure the symptoms of HD, they also trigger several side effects such as fatigue, restlessness, or hyper excitability. In the present study, investigation was performed widely on Medieval Persian prescriptions based on medical plants for treatment of the disease. Over 10 valid medical references of medieval Persian texts were screened to have a complete collection. Naturally-occurring substances derived from plants currently have a particular place in drug discovery. In conclusion, the study presents the clinical approaches that practitioners in medieval Persia used to classify, and deal with HD. The accurate observations of medieval Persian physicians provide a precise and comprehensive description of the HD.