A Gene Causing Dyslexia Found

Rovaani writes "A group of Finnish scientist have found a gene causing dyslexia. Dyslexia is the most common learning disorder among children and affects anywhere between 3 percent and 10 percent of the population."

Comments

And...

[Anonymous Coward]

...in other news: Dubya stops wearing jeans.

Re:Ageing causes dyslexia?

[iMMersE]

Have you ever seen a dead person read?

Obvious

[IainHere]

It has been known for over a century that dyslexia runs in families. It is common practise today to keep a particular eye on siblings of those with dyslexia in order to diagnose them quicker if they turn out also to have it.

All this means that it is obvious that there are genes that cause dyslexia. Also, this research has been done on a single family, which will likely only find a single cause of a problem that has many causes.

Don't get me wrong, it's great that this research is ongoing, it's just that it's of no real use, or news value.

Re:Obvious

[JohnPM]

I don't think you could be more wrong...unless you left out the bit about it being done in only one family.

Firstly, just because siblings sometimes share a problem doesn't prove that it's genetic. Siblings often share a bicycle, but that doesn't mean there's a gene for that. To really prove this sort of thing you need to look at twins who preferably have grown up apart. Researches are starting to realise that even this is not always enough. Changes in gene activation can be inherited without having anything to do with the genetic code. For example, lung size in tibetans takes several generations to return to normal after moving to lower altitude. It's thought that this is something to do with methelation of the chromosomes.

Secondly, finding a gene that causes a disease (even if there are others that remain undiscovered) does a LOT to combat the disease because you can start to target the cause. It's very little to do with proving that it's genetic rather than environmental.

Re:Obvious

[henrygb]

Perhaps even worse than obvious. Assuming the research has correctly idetified a particular genetic factor...

1. In the first family, a gene called DYXC1 was disrupted. So if there is anything to this story, then the gene may help prevent dyslexia, rather than cause it.

2. "In a complex disorder, even a modest increase in genetic risk may be interesting," they wrote. "There is overwhelming evidence that dyslexia is a genetically complex condition." So if this is really a factor, then it is likely to one factor among many, rather than an accurate diagnostic tool.

3. To compare, the team studied 20 unrelated Finnish families, with 58 dyslexic and 61 non-dyslexic members. In the first family, a gene called DYXC1 was disrupted. In another, DYXC1 has a "stop sign" in the wrong place, which causes cells to produce a shortened version of the DYXC1 protein. So if DYXC1 is not a factor in the other 19 families, despite numberous dyslexic members, then it seems likely to be a small factor across the population.

Quite a long way from finding the sole cause of dyslexia, which is possibly the impression tomorrow's headlines will give. Dyslexia may turn out to be something that everyone has to a degree, and only those severely affected are diagnosed.

Graet

[kinnell]

Hofepully we cna fnid a ruce for tihs tebbirle codnition

Re:Graet

[Anonymous Coward]

Headline: Dyslexia For Cure Found

Uh huh.

[torpor]

Of course, this all hinges on whether or not you believe in 'gene theory', an as yet unproven thesis which cannot be fully scientifically validated until certain international restrictions on the subject of genetic experiments are lifted ...

Next up: the gene that makes a /. troll ...

Genius Gene has been found!

[erinacht]

A remarkable number of people that are rated as geniuses have/had dyslexia

examples are:
Leonardo DaVinci
Michael Faraday
Thomas Edison


and more here.
I wonder if they could poke the genius bit on but leave the learning difficulty out, or perhaps the different way of learning that dyslexics have makes a far better connected brain than us normal saps have

Info about the GIFT of dyslexia

Dyslexia "abuse"

[neglige]

Dyslexia is the most common learning disorder among children and affects anywhere between 3 percent and 10 percent of the population.

And in some cases, parents urge doctors to diagnose dyslexia so the child gets 'special' treatment (e.g. more time at exams) at school resulting in better grades...

Yes, I know, there are children that really suffer from dyslexia, and yes, there are doctors who refuse to give a false diagnosis. But sometimes I get the feeling that the percentage of kids suffering from dyslexia is somewhat higher than 10% -- or is this a local phenomenon or my misconception?

The percentages seem odd

[jbarr]

Between 1 and 30 percent?

People are cruel

[Twylite]

People are cruel. What jerk came up with the name "lisp" (the speech impediment)? And why name it "dyslexia" instead of using a suitable palindrome?

Dyslexia is not a disorder!

[nanobug]

It has been known for some time now that dyslexia is not a disorder, but a special ability in certain individuals that enables them to perceive objects in full 3D. That is, when they look at something, their minds instantly build a full 3D image and lets them 'see' it from all directions simultaneously, with no particular direction being any more important than the other. That is why they treat letters and words as 3D, spin them around in their mind, and often write them down backwards or in the wrong order, or confuse certain letter combinations like p and d, or N and Z.
The researcher that first conceived of this idea found a technique that improved the reading and writing ability of 80% of dyslexsics nearly instantly: get them to imagine a camera just above their right shoulder (or left) which is looking at whatever they are looking at. Focus their attention on what the view through the camera lens would be. This slight change raises that particular viewpoint above the others in their minds.
People with dyslexia, once they learn the above technique, have an advantage over the rest of us, and are well suited to any job involving 3D, such as architects, 3D games designers, choreographers etc.
So we (the ones without dyslexia) have a limitation that they lack.