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   Dementia: Rare Brain Disorder Is Highly Hereditary   
   Date:   
   November 4, 2009   
   Source:   
   American Academy of Neurology   
   Summary:   
   New research shows that frontotemporal dementia -- a rare brain disorder that   
   causes early dementia -- is highly hereditary.   
      
   FULL STORY   
   New research shows that a rare brain disorder that causes early dementia is   
   highly hereditary. The study is published in the November 3, 2009, issue of   
   Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.   
      
   The brain disorder, called frontotemporal dementia, is formerly known as   
   Pick's disease and destroys parts of the brain, leading to dementia, including   
   problems with language or changes in behavior and personality. The disease   
   often affects people under    
   the age of 65.   
      
   "Knowing your family's health history may be one way for people to better   
   predict their risk of developing dementia," said study author Jonathan Rohrer,   
   MRCP Clinical Research Fellow at the Dementia Research Center at the   
   University College London in the    
   United Kingdom.   
      
   For the study, blood was drawn from 225 people who were diagnosed with   
   frontotemporal dementia. The people were asked about family history of   
   dementia and given a score of one through four. A score of one represents a   
   person who had at least three    
   relatives with dementia and an autosomal dominant inheritance, meaning that an   
   affected person has one mutant gene and one normal gene and has a 50-percent   
   chance of passing the mutant gene and therefore the disorder on to their   
   offspring. A score of    
   four represents a person with no family history of dementia.   
      
   The study found that nearly 42 percent of participants scored between a one   
   and a 3.5, meaning they had some family history of dementia. However, only 10   
   percent had an autosomal dominant gene history.   
      
   The people in the study also had their DNA tested for five gene mutations   
   thought to cause frontotemporal dementia. Mutations were found in two of the   
   five genes.   
      
   "Many people were still found to have a strong family history of dementia even   
   without having any of the five known gene mutations, suggesting that there are   
   still unknown genes that cause frontotemporal dementia," said Rohrer.   
      
   "Discovering new genes and gene mutations could provide another key to   
   unlocking the doors to new treatments and prevention strategies for dementia."   
      
   The study also found that behavioral problems associated with frontotemporal   
   dementia were the most likely to be hereditary, while language problems were   
   the least likely to be hereditary.   
      
   The study is supported by the United Kingdom Department of Health's NIHR   
   Biomedical Research Centers, the Medical Research Council UK and the   
   Alzheimer's Research Trust in the United Kingdom.   
      
      
   Story Source:   
      
   The above post is reprinted from materials provided by American Academy of   
   Neurology. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.   
      
   Cite This Page:   
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   APA   
   Chicago   
   American Academy of Neurology. "Dementia: Rare Brain Disorder Is Highly   
   Hereditary." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 November 2009. .   
      
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