Study discovers gene that affects Parkinson’s susceptibility

Researchers in the US have discovered a gene that may play a key role in affecting a person's susceptibility to Parkinson's disease.

The Mayo Clinic study has found a certain variation of the LRRK2 gene can reduce the risk of contracting the serious neurodegenerative disorder by nearly 20 percent among many populations.

Other variants of the gene were conversely discovered to double the Parkinson's risk among Caucasians and Asians, meaning this gene could prove instrumental in predicting the onset of the illness in future.

It is also thought that further research into this field could reveal insights into how this process could be disrupted, thus preventing the development of the disease.

Lead investigator Dr Owen Ross, a neuroscientist at Mayo Clinic Florida, said: "The idea that Parkinson's disease occurs mostly in a random sporadic fashion is changing."

Earlier this year, a multinational study suggested that differences in cultural norms could be impeding efforts to treat Parkinson's disease, as doctors in different parts of the world have contrasting expectations on what constitutes normal behaviour.