A gene for ataxic cerebral palsy maps to chromosome 9p12–q12.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- McHale, D P; Jackson, A P; Campbell, D A; Levene, M I; Corry, P; Woods, C G; Lench, N J; Mueller, R F; Markham, A F
- Source
- European Journal of Human Genetics. Apr2000, Vol. 8 Issue 4, p267. 6p.
- Subject
- *ATAXIA
*CEREBRAL palsy
*CHROMOSOMES
- Language
- ISSN
- 1018-4813
Cerebral palsy (CP) has an incidence of approximately I in 750 births, although this varies between ethnic groups. Genetic forms of the disease account for about 2% of cases in most countries, but contribute a larger proportion in certain sub-types of the condition and in populations with a large proportion of consanguineous marriages. Ataxic cerebral palsy accounts for 5-10% of all forms of CP and it is estimated that approximately 50% of ataxic cerebral palsy is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. We have identified a complex consanguineous Asian pedigree with four children in two sibships affected with ataxic cerebral palsy and have used homozygosity mapping to map the disorder in this family. A genome-wide search was performed using 343 fluorescently labelled polymorphic markers and linkage to chromosome 9p12-q12 was demonstrated. A maximum Lod score of 3.4 was observed between the markers D9S50 and D9S167 using multipoint analysis, a region of approximately 23cM. We have identified a family that segregates both ataxic CP and ataxic diplegia and have mapped the genetic locus responsible in this family to chromosome 9p12-q12. The identification of gene(s) involved in the aetiology of CP will offer the possibility of prenatal/premarital testing to some families with children affected with the disorder and will greatly increase our understanding of the development of the control of motor function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]