According to a story from Parkinson’s News Today, the results of a global, online survey appear to indicate that genetically based, inherited Parkinson’s disease is actually more common than the medical community once realized. This study was conducted by the Global Genetic Parkinson’s Study Group, which is part of The Michael J. Fox Foundation. The results of this survey, which came as a surprise, indicates that new methods for assessing patient data may be necessary for future Parkinson’s disease research so that relevant mutations can be detected more regularly.
About Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a type of long term, progressive, degenerative illness that affects the central nervous system. Symptoms tend to develop over a period of years and primarily affect the movement ability and mental state of the patient. The cause of Parkinson’s disease remains a mystery, although there are a number of risk factors that have been identified. These factors include head injuries, pesticide exposure, and certain genetic variants and mutations. About 15 percent of patients have a close relative with the disease, suggesting some genetic connection. Symptoms include slowed movements, poor coordination, trouble walking, shaking, stiffness, abnormal posture, depression, anxiety, inhibited thinking, hallucinations, and dementia. Treatment may involve a number of medications, rehabilitation, and surgical operations. Survival rate varies, but most patients survive around a decade after getting diagnosed. To learn more about Parkinson’s disease, click here.
About The Survey
The study included a total of 8,453 Parkinson’s disease patients with genetic mutations. The study included patients from 43 countries and 103 survey sites. While not all cases of the disease have a genetic basis, there are a significant number of genes that, when mutated, can cause Parkinson’s. These include GBA, SNCA, PARK7, VPS35, LRRK2, and PINK1.
The findings reveal that Parkinson’s is generally more heterogeneous than originally thought and that future advances in diagnosis and treatment for the illness may be dependent on research that is able to identify clinically and genetically differentiated subgroups. Such research will only be as effective as the extent of patient community involvement, meaning that studies should take place on an international scale.
The results from this survey represent just the first step towards improving the scientific understanding of genetic Parkinson’s.
