ABSTRACT
Since the late 19th century, when several inherited neurological disorders were described, the close relationship between Neurology and heredity were well documented by several authors in a pre-genetic era. The term Neurogenetics came to integrate two large sciences and clinical practices: Neurology and Genetics. Neurogenetics is the emerging field that studies the correlation between genetic code and the development and function of the nervous system, including behavioral traits, personality and neurological diseases. In this historical note, a timeline shows the main events and contributors since the first reports of neurogenetic diseases until the current days. In the recent years, neurologists are experiencing much broader use of new genetic diagnosis techniques in clinical practice. Thus, new challenges are arising in diagnostic approach, ethical considerations, and therapeutic options. This article aims to summarize the main historical hallmarks of Neurogenetics, from the pre-DNA era to the present, and the future directions of the field.
Keywords:
Genetic Diseases, Inborn; History; Neurology; Genetics
Thumbnail
Thumbnail
Source: Seymour Benzer 1921-2007 The Man Who Took Us from Genes to Behaviour. Available at: 
FA: Friedreich ataxia; HD: Huntington disease; HSP: hereditary spastic paraplegia; CMT: Charcot-Marie-Tooth; ALS: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; AD: Alzheimer disease; DMD: Duchenne muscular dystrophy; EU: European Union; NPC: Niemann-Pick type C disease; FDA: Food and Drug Administration; SMA: spinal muscular atrophy; FAP: familial amyloid polyneuropathy; CLN2: ceroid neuronal lipofuscinosis type 2.