RNA build-up linked to dementia and motor neuron disease

A new toxic entity associated with genetically inherited forms of dementia and motor neuron disease has been identified by scientists at the UCL Institute of Neurology. The toxin is the result of a genetic mutation that leads to the production of RNA molecules which could be responsible for the diseases. The findings are published in the journal Acta Neuropathologica. Frontotemporal dementia and motor neuron disease are related neurodegenerative diseases that affect approximately 15,000 people in the UK. Frontotemporal dementia causes profound personality and behaviour changes. Motor neuron disease leads to muscle weakness and eventual paralysis. The most common known cause for both frontotemporal dementia and motor neuron disease is an unusual genetic mutation in the C9orf72 gene.