Neuro Note -- Seth Rotberg


I watched a TED Talk given by a man named Seth Rotberg who was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease during his sophomore year of college. His mother had been diagnosed with Huntington’s much earlier, and he watched her go through the struggle of the disease for seventeen years. Seth commented on some of the main symptoms of Huntington’s including poor balance, wobbly movements, tripping and falling often, and severe mood swings. Most of their neighbors thought she was drunk all the time. Towards the end of her life, Seth noted a severe cognitive decline that affected his mother’s short term memory, concentration, and decision-making skills. He describes Huntington’s by saying, “It’s like having ALS, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s all at once”. Seth decided to get involved in the fundraising and advocating for Huntington’s Disease, so he started a program called Hoops for Huntington’s. Eventually Seth started to think about his chances of having Huntington’s Disease and how a diagnosis would affect the way he lives his life, so he went to the doctor to be tested, and the test returned positive.
            I chose to watch this TED Talk because I didn’t know much about Huntington’s Disease because I don’t have a personal connection to anyone who has been diagnosed with it. As a future occupational therapist who may have clients with Huntington’s, I think it is critical to understand what people go through and what their mindset is when they have a diagnosis. I also think it’s easier to learn about a topic when you have a real-life example to make connections. I would recommend this video to other students because I really think experiences like this help us build empathy for our future clients. I definitely feel like I have learned more about Huntington's Disease and will be better equipped to work with a client with this diagnosis. 

TEDx Talks. (2018, March 06). "Navigating Genetic Disease Testing: A Personal Story". Seth
Rotberg. Retrieved July 21, 2019, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_O5TfMVqD8


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_O5TfMVqD8 

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