In House M.D., which disease does Thirteen discover she may inherit from her mother?

In House M.D., Thirteen discovers that she may inherit Huntington’s disease from her mother.

Remy Hadley’s mother died after suffering from Huntington’s disease, a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder. Because Huntington’s is caused by a mutation in the HTT gene and is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, an affected parent can pass the condition to a child. The storyline focuses on the uncertainty created by genetic risk and testing.

Thirteen eventually learns that she carries the Huntington’s mutation. The series explores how that knowledge affects her relationships, medical career, and decisions about the future. Her situation is especially dramatic because symptoms can begin years after a person learns about the genetic risk.

The plot is fictional, but Huntington’s disease is real and distinct from Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. Those conditions can also affect the nervous system, but they do not identify Thirteen’s specific family history.