A NEW LOOK ON GENETICS & BRAIN DISEASE

Our genes can be understood as our molecular heredity – the biological attributes that are passed to us from many generations before us. For decades, medical researchers have been trying to find the link, if any, between our genetics and brain disease. To date, this is what is universally understood and accepted in the field of neurology:

• Only between 5 to 10 percent of cancer is hereditary.

• Most risk factors that are hereditary are not acquired at birth. Rather, the cell is compromised later in life, eventually turning cancerous.

The leading diseases found to include inherited conditions are:

• Neurofibromatosis Type I: one of the most common single-gene brain tumor disorders. Symptoms include implicated learning, vision, epilepsy and curvature of the spine.
• Neurofibromatosis Type II: the primary exhibition of this disease is symmetric tumors in the auditory-vestibular nerve, which is responsible for sending sensory information from the inner ear to the brain.
• Li-Fraumeni syndrome: this syndrome is very rare and linked to mutation in germ cells, or cells related to reproduction.
• Von Hippel-Lindau disease: similar to Li-Fraumeni syndrome, this disease is a genetic condition that leaves individuals greatly predisposed to malignant and benign tumors. Most tumors present in the central nervous system, eyes, ears, and pancreas.

In summary, there isn’t a lot of documented researching linking brain tumors to genetic inheritance. However, recent studies involving the brain and genetics may offer future findings related to this issue. The studies are summarized as follows:

Genes associated with information processing: the team at the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology (CCACE) in Edinburgh, led by Director and Professor Ian Deary, analysed data from 54,000 people over 45 years old. Each patient underwent research while recording their cognitive function. The study found significant small signals from four genetic regions in the brain during the exam. These regions are associated with specific genes impacting cognitive ability and Alzheimer’s disease. Identifying specific hereditary genes may help future research define disease related genes, and offer treatment.

Three radiation-proof genes identified: researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center have successfully identified three genes that, as a group, enable a lethal form of brain cancer to return and develop even after radiation therapy. These findings may change the approach to radiation and chemotherapy treatment.

Identifying the genes that help us form memories: when memories are formed, gene expression is altered. Researches have successfully monitored the neurons in these genes in rats as they learned. Gene expression took place in the auditory thalamus region of the brain as rats were conditioned to an auditory tone pair with a mild electric shock. This study is especially exciting as it may offer assistance in the development of treatment for memory-related brain disease.

While the link between genetics and brain disease is still somewhat ambiguous, these three recent studies offer powerful findings to help bridge this gap. However, If you have a high percentage of family members who were diagnosed with any type of brain disease, it’s important to see a professional. Dr. Duma and his team has treated hundreds of patients with a variety of symptoms and diseases.