Is Parkinson’s Disease Hereditary? — Conclusion

What’s more, researchers have discovered evidence a person’s genetic makeup plays a larger role in Parkinson's disease than previously realized. Scientists are working to identify genes associated with the development of Parkinson’s disease.

When is Parkinson's disease hereditary?

So far, researchers have found some rare instances in which a single genetic mutation that is passed from generation to generation appears to cause Parkinson's disease, resulting in the condition seeming to “run” in an extended family.

One genetic pattern identified with familial Parkinson’s disease is autosomal dominant — meaning it takes only one altered copy of a specific gene in a person to cause the disease. LRRK2 and SNCA are examples of those genes. That is a rare type of PD, however, believed to cause only one to two percent of Parkinson’s cases, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.

Another genetic variation involving the presence of two altered copies of certain genes (PARK7, PINK1, PRKN) is now known to cause PD in some people, too.

Zeroing in on Parkinson’s disease and heredity

National Institute of Aging investigator Andrew Singleton, PhD, headed a research team that studied data from more than 33,000 volunteers to search for genetic variations associated with developing Parkinson’s disease. They found five new genetic regions linked to Parkinson’s. The researchers also confirmed six previously identified genetic variations that appear to raise the risk for PD.

"Up until just 10 or 15 years ago, the field did not think genetics played much of a role in the development of Parkinson's disease," Singleton explained. "This work not only increases our understanding of how genes are involved in the disease process, but with more research, may one day result in the development of better diagnostics and therapeutic interventions for this debilitating disease."

Of course, not everyone who has the genetic variations develops Parkinson’s disease — in fact, most don’t. So scientists are looking into how genetic factors plus exposure to one or more environmental factors, such as pesticides or other neurotoxins, might trigger many cases of Parkinson’s disease, according to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

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