Gene discovery could help uncover dyslexia’s biological drivers

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A team of researchers has identified 42 genes linked to the condition. Dyslexia can run in families, but little is known about specific genes that increase risk.

But the study of DNA variants in 50,000 adults with dyslexia found a third of the gene types associated with the condition had previously been linked with neurodevelopmental conditions.

But many had not, and their discovery could improve their understanding of dyslexia’s biological drivers.

Lead researcher Michelle Luciano, of the University of Edinburgh, said: “Our findings show that common genetic differences have very similar effects. Our results suggest dyslexia is genetically related to performance on reading and spelling tests, reinforcing the importance of standardised testing in identifying dyslexia.”

The findings were published in the journal Nature Genetics.

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