Genetic Mutations Impacting the Brain

Preliminary results from the largest collaborative study of the brain to date—ENIGMA—were recently reported in the peer-reviewed journal Nature. About 300 researchers representing a consortium of 190 institutions around the world collectively have identified eight common genetic mutations that appear to age the brain in an average of about three years. Knowing about these eight common genetic mutations could form the basis for developing targeted interventions and/or therapies for neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and conditions on the Autism Spectrum.