LAUSR

Individual genetic variation can have a major impact on the clinical manifestation of a movement disorder and its response to treatment. Advances in gene discovery and increasing availability of diagnostic genetic testing have led to the identification of a growing number of patients with well‐defined hereditary movement disorders. Establishing a genetic diagnosis may greatly impact patient counseling and shape therapeutic decisions. Further, assignment of a movement disorder to a specific genetic defect holds promise for the development of causal treatment approaches and individualized therapies, especially as the first gene‐targeted approaches have recently entered clinical trials. However, important gaps remain, that is, genetic testing results are often inconclusive, gene‐specific treatment options are still exceedingly rare, and designing clinical trials to demonstrate disease modification continues to pose a major challenge. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society