Title:Parkinson's Disease: From Genetics to Clinical Practice
VOLUME: 14 ISSUE: 8
Author(s):Jordi Clarimon and Jaime Kulisevsky
Affiliation:Genetics of Neurodegenerative Disorders Unit, IIB-Sant Pau, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Sant Antoni M. Claret 167, 08025 Barcelona, Spain.
Keywords:Genetics, Parkinson's disease, Mendelian genes, Genetic testing, PARK, Clinical genetics, Genetic risk factor.
Abstract:Breakthroughs in genetics over the last decade have radically advanced our understanding of the etiological basis
of Parkinson's disease (PD). Although much research remains to be done, the main genetic causes of this neurodegenerative
disorder are now partially unraveled, allowing us to feel more confident that our knowledge about the genetic architecture
of PD will continue to increase exponentially. How and when these discoveries will be introduced into general
clinical practice, however, remains uncertain. In this review, we provide a general summary of the progress in the genetics
of PD and discuss how this knowledge will contribute to the diagnosis and clinical management of patients with, or at risk
of this disorder.
