Life With MND
Is MND Inherited?
Approximately 5-10% of people diagnosed with MND will have an inherited, or Familial, form. This form of MND is extremely rare. The great majority of people diagnosed with MND (90-95%) have the sporadic form, occurring for no known reason. Sporadic MND is not passed on to future generations.
The inherited, or Familial, form of MND is extremely rare.
Familial MND affects more members of the same family than can be accounted for by chance. A strong indication of whether someone has familial MND would be if a parent, uncle, aunt or sibling has been affected. Offspring of an affected parent have a 50% chance of inheriting the faulty gene, so the disease is only passed on to some family members. You can read more about the way that familial MND is inherited in research info sheet B - Inherited MND (87 kb)
Mistakes in a gene called SOD1 cause around 20% of familial MND cases. Research is underway to isolate the other faulty genes that account for the other 80% of familial cases.
It is recognised that many families need advice from experts about how Familial MND will affect their family. Your GP will be able to refer you on to a genetic counselling service or to a neurologist specialising in familial MND (contact details are given at the end of research info sheet B (87 kb)) . The Genetic Interest Group is a national alliance of patient organisations that support those affected by genetic disorders.
Mistakes in a gene called SOD1 cause around 20% of familial MND cases. Research is underway to isolate the other faulty genes that account for the other 80% of familial cases.
It is recognised that many families need advice from experts about how Familial MND will affect their family. Your GP will be able to refer you on to a genetic counselling service or to a neurologist specialising in familial MND (contact details are given at the end of research info sheet B (87 kb)) . The Genetic Interest Group is a national alliance of patient organisations that support those affected by genetic disorders.
- Res inf B - Inherited MND (87kb - PDF)
- InfP2 Impact of Familial MND (63kb - PDF)
