"Genetic Mutation Slows Parkinson Disease Progression" - Carisa D. Brewster
Parkinson disease (PD) patients with a mutation of the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene show a slower decline in motor functioning compared to patients without the mutation, according to a new study. Major mutations in the LRRK2 gene are the greatest contributor to the development of PD and are present in one to two percent of the people with PD worldwide, said study author Rachel Saunders-Pullman, MD, associate professor of neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. For certain groups, such as Ashkenazi Jews and North African Arab-Berbers, the gene is present in about 15 percent of those with PD. "This study supports that with the G2019S mutation of LRRK2, the motor progression is slightly slower than other Parkinson's as a whole," Dr. Sanders-Pullman said.
- Rachel Saunders-Pullman, MD, Associate Professor, Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai