A rare inherited brain disorder, Huntington's Disease-Like 2 (HDL2), can manifest with significant changes in personality and behavior years before the onset of motor impairments typically associated with Huntington's disease. This was the experience of Damien Lujan, a 36-year-old father of four from California, whose diagnosis with HDL2 in 2025 followed a series of alarming behavioral shifts.
Initially, Lujan's wife, Yolanda, noticed drastic changes in his spending habits. In 2024, he impulsively spent $900 on clothing for himself, a stark contrast to his usual frugality. This was followed by an intense obsession with the mobile game Candy Crush, leading to over $1,000 in in-app purchases within a single month. His demeanor also changed, with the usually calm individual exhibiting sudden rages and irritability, reportedly berating his children over minor issues like misplaced television remotes.
These behavioral changes, which made him difficult to live with and contributed to him losing jobs, predated the more recognizable physical symptoms of a neurological disorder. Yolanda observed a slight tremor in his hand and a dragging of his right foot, prompting her to persuade him to see a neurologist. After extensive testing, including brain scans and genetic tests in 2025, Lujan was diagnosed with HDL2.
HDL2 is a rare genetic disorder that progressively damages nerve cells in the brain, particularly in areas responsible for movement, memory, mood, and decision-making. While its symptoms closely resemble those of Huntington's disease, it is caused by a different genetic mutation and is more commonly identified in individuals of African ancestry. Like Huntington's, HDL2 is inherited, meaning each of Lujan's four children has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the condition.
Research indicates that psychiatric and cognitive symptoms can appear in over 40 percent of patients with Huntington's and related disorders before motor problems emerge. These early signs can include irritability, depression, impulsive behavior, and impaired judgment, which can severely disrupt personal relationships and careers. Looking back, Yolanda believes Lujan's personality began to shift after he was medically discharged from the military in 2018 with a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The progressive nature of his condition has significantly impacted his independence. He can no longer drive, manage finances, prepare meals, or reliably take his medication, necessitating Yolanda's role as his full-time caregiver.
Despite the devastating prognosis, with doctors estimating Lujan could live another 10 to 20 years from symptom onset, Yolanda is focused on preserving memories of her husband and raising awareness about HDL2. She hopes that by sharing their story, other families who test negative for Huntington's disease will be investigated for rarer Huntington's-like disorders, especially given the potential for significant behavioral and cognitive changes to be the earliest indicators of such conditions. Currently, there is no cure for HDL2, and symptoms are expected to worsen over many years.