WCN 2021 | The genetics of dystonia

Kailash Bhatia, MD, DM, FRCP, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK, discusses the importance of understanding the underlying genetic causes of dystonia. New technologies such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) have led to the identification of a large number of genes involved in the pathophysiology of dystonia. Knowledge of these genes allows classifying patients with dystonia into different categories, each with a different prognosis, different treatment outcomes, and different potential complications. Prof. Bhatia explains that further advances in our understanding of the genetics of dystonia could lead to the development of targeted treatments. This interview took place during the XXV World Congress of Neurology.