Researchers recently combined data from multiple studies across the globe to explore how genetics and family history relate to age of onset and disease duration in FTD.

The study pulled data from multiple observational studies in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Australia, including the ALLFTD network, a National Institutes of Health-funded research consortium that targets FTD progression and treatment. The combined data included 3,403 individuals, from almost 1,500 families, who had genetic mutations in one of the three main genes associated with FTD: MAPT, GRN and C9orf72.

Recently published in Lancet Neurology, the findings suggest differences in the age of onset and death, as well as disease duration and relationship with parental age of onset, among the three different sets of mutations.

While more research is needed before such findings could be applied clinically, understanding the causes of variation in age of onset of FTD could provide important insights into the disease and help inform future research.

To read more details about the findings, click here.