FAMILIAL COSEGREGATION OF MANIC-DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS AND A FORM OF HEREDITARY CEREBELLAR-ATAXIA

We report on a Spanish family with co-occurrence of manic-depression a nd a form of hereditary cerebellar ataxia. All affected individuals in the second generation showed cerebellar ataxia and manic-depression s imultaneously, Since anticipation has been described in both disorders and the pattern of segregation may be autosomal as well as X-linked, we have searched for a possible involvement of two candidate genes whi ch are located either on an autosome (SCA1) or on the X-chromosome (GA BRA3). We concluded that expansion of trinucleotide repeats at SCA1 ge ne cannot be considered as a disease-causing mutation, and this gene s hould be initially discarded. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.