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A mutated gene linked to an inherited form of a common type of dementia called frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has been identified by Canadian and American scientists.
They found that a mutated progranulin gene on chromosome 17 can cause inherited FTD, the Canadian Press reported.
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FTD, which is incurable, causes about 15 percent of all dementia cases worldwide, and about half of FTD cases are inherited. Alzheimer's disease is the only other type of dementia more common than FTD.
"The immediate implications are that we can now begin to offer genetic counseling and genetic testing for affected families," researcher Dr. Ian Mackenzie, a neuropathologist at the University of British Columbia, told the CP.
"And perhaps even the more important slightly long-term goal is that the knowledge we've gained has very strong implications for possible treatment strategies," Mackenzie added.
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