DCD2 and Robo1 Genes Linked to Dyslexia
The DCD2 and Robo1 genes have been linked to dyslexia. Dyslexic brains appear to have less active versions of these genes.
[DCD2] is active in reading centers in the human brain, said Dr. Jeffrey R. Gruen, a Yale geneticist who described the discovery at a news conference yesterday. Large deletions in a regulatory region of the gene were found in one of every five dyslexics tested, making it less active.
When the [Robo1] gene’s activity is reduced, the number of finer connections, called dendrites, is reduced in brain areas involved in reading.
“You get the right signals going, but they do less well in terms of rapid processing,” Dr. Kere said.
With the finding of a clear biological basis for dyslexia, hopefully affected people will receive the treatment they need without the accompanying stigma.
The New York Times, October 29, 2005
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2 opinions for DCD2 and Robo1 Genes Linked to Dyslexia
» Science Magazine Breakthroughs of 2005 Genetics and Health
Dec 26, 2005 at 1:00 am
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Apr 8, 2008 at 2:22 pm
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