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Identification of Genomic Markers of Cervical Dystonia and Subtypes

As the third most common movement disorder, dystonias collectively affect more than 2 million people worldwide. Despite their high prevalence, their biological roots are largely unknown. Genetic influences are suggested in familial studies, however, no specific genetic variants are responsible for a significant proportion of identified cases. Previous genome-wide association studies of the dystonias were limited by smaller sample size and lack of coverage of rare variants. In this study, we use a high-throughput genomic approach to effectively investigate relationships between over genome-wide genetic variations and dystonias. We conduct targeted analyses of candidate genes, as well as agnostic searches for any genomic with the dystonias and subtypes in a large sample of dystonia patients available.