Is Cerebral Palsy Genetic?
Advances in genomic research have helped to identify gene mutations that are responsible for causing Cerebral Palsy. This new understanding into causation of Cerebral Palsy is welcome news for families who have had no clear cause of their loved one's diagnosis. As this knowledge and understanding grows, CPF will continue to provide research and resources to help you find the answers you are searching for.
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Get the Facts
Firm Evidence That Many Cases of CP may be Caused by Genetic Mutations: What Does This Mean for Families? An international study recently published in the journal Nature Genetics has provided the first firm evidence that for a substantial number of people, their cerebral palsy (CP) may be caused by a...
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Is Cerebral Palsy Genetic? To give you an idea about genetic variation between each of us, there are about three million differences in our genetic code. They go to influence the color of our hair and the color of our eyes, the way we walk.
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Episode 4. Let's Talk CP. Cracking the Cerebral Palsy Genetic Code Part 1 with Dr. Michael Kruer, Physician Scientist at Phoenix Children's Hospital Can there be a genetic cause of Cerebral Palsy in some cases? Let's Talk CP host, Cynthia Frisina talks with Dr. Michael Kruer about this topic and his ground-breaking research in Part 1 of a two-part discussion about the possible genetic causes of CP. When Michael Kruer was in medical school, he knew he wanted to work with children. With advancements in gene therapy opening up incredible opportunities in neuroscience, he realized he could be a part of something much bigger than himself and give children affected by movement disorders like cerebral palsy hope that didn’t seem possible just a few years ago. -
Episode 5: Let's Talk CP. What is Genetic Counseling and How Can it Help Your Family? If you're interested in learning more about what is involved with genetic testing and how a visit with a genetic counselor might be helpful, join Cynthia Frisina, the host of Let's Talk CP, as she dives deep with licensed genetic counselor, Danielle Lemke and they talk about what genetic counseling really is, how it can help and what it might be used for as it relates to potential genetic causes of cerebral palsy. -
Episode 7. Let's Talk CP. Cracking the Cerebral Palsy Genetic Code Part 2 with Dr. Michael Kruer, Physician Scientist at Phoenix Children's Hospital Can there be a genetic cause of Cerebral Palsy in some cases? Let's Talk CP host, Cynthia Frisina talks with Dr. Michael Kruer about this topic and his ground-breaking research in Part 2 of a two-part discussion about the possible genetic causes of CP. When Michael Kruer was in medical school, he knew he wanted to work with children. With advancements in gene therapy opening up incredible opportunities in neuroscience, he realized he could be a part of something much bigger than himself and give children affected by movement disorders like cerebral palsy hope that didn’t seem possible just a few years ago.
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Recommended Resources
Can Genetic Testing Help You or Your Child? If you or your child have cerebral palsy where the cause is unclear, there are no-cost genetic tests and no-cost genetic counseling that can help answer some of these questions.
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Mutations Disrupting Neuritogenesis Genes Confer Risk for Cerebral Palsy. "In addition to commonly associated environmental factors, genomic factors may cause cerebral palsy. We performed whole-exome sequencing of 250 parent–offspring trios, and observed enrichment of damaging de novo mutations in cerebral palsy cases." -
Insights From Genetic Studies of Cerebral Palsy Cohort-based whole exome and whole genome sequencing and copy number variant (CNV) studies have identified genetic etiologies for a sizable proportion of patients with cerebral palsy (CP). These findings indicate that genetic mutations collectively comprise an important cause of CP. -
Should Everyone with CP have Genetic Testing? In 10% to 15% of cases, there is no clear cause of CP. There is increasing recognition that genetics plays a part, but no standardized approach to genetic testing in patients with CP exists. In this study we asked the question whether both people with and without known risk factors for CP should have genetic testing.
Research is showing that between 14-33% cases of cerebral palsy may have a genetic component.