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Parkinson disease

Genetic testing in Parkinson disease—who should be assessed?

Mutations in six genes have been unequivocally linked to Parkinson disease (PD). A recent study found that among 953 patients with the early-onset form of PD, ≈17% harbored a mutation in one of these genes. This finding raises important issues concerning genetic testing and genetic counseling for early-onset PD.

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Acknowledgements

C. Klein is a recipient of a career development award from the Volkswagen Foundation and the Hermann and Lilly Schilling Foundation. A. Djarmati acknowledges research support from the German Research Foundation (grant number DJ 65/4–1).

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Correspondence to Christine Klein.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Supplementary Figure 1

Countries where mutation frequency data are available for the six genes associated with Parkinson disease. (DOC 3307 kb)

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Klein, C., Djarmati, A. Genetic testing in Parkinson disease—who should be assessed?. Nat Rev Neurol 7, 7–9 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2010.197

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