nter a period of regression, losing speech and other skills they had acquired. Most of the children develop seizures, repetitive hand movements, developmental delay, and motor-control problems, and they often have autistic tendencies. Rett syndrome is believed to affect 1 in 10,000 females.
"Since the Rett syndrome genetic tests are used not only to confirm a diagnosis of Rett syndrome, but also for 'negative inclusion' in other developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, forms of mental retardation and autism, we expect this new discovery to have great clinical utility," added Dr. Minassian.
Kathy Hunter, president and founder of the International Rett Syndrome Association (IRSA), applauded the new paper: "This is truly an exciting time for Rett syndrome research and is a major leap forward in our understanding of how MECP2 works in the nervous system. This critical discovery may be put into immediate practice. This finding will gladden the hearts of the thousands of families that must meet the challenges of Rett syndrome everyday. It brings us all hope that we are closer to finding answers that can ease our struggles."
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Contact: Laura Greer, The Hospital for Sick Children
laura.greer@sickkids.ca
416-813-5046
University of Toronto
22-Mar-2004
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