An Overview of the Genetic Causes of Frontotemporal Degeneration

Many neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) have been thought to be caused mainly by conditions that were not controlled by genetic inheritance. Extensive research into these diseases has recently discovered that perhaps a majority of them have genetic inheritance components. Once thought to be a rare form of NDD, frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) is now considered to be the main cause of early onset NDD, and the information on genetic causes and inheritance has increased dramatically over the last 10 years. The main genes that have been found to be involved in frontotemporal degeneration, MAPT, TARDBP, GRN C9orf72, VCP, FUS, and CHMP2B, have also been found in related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. This paper is intended as an updated review of the genetic causes of FTD. This information should aid physicians and scientists in understanding the current concepts, and encourage even more genetic testing so that a full knowledge of genetic inheritance in FTD will be soon be forthcoming