Genetic Analysis of Mental Retardation: The Genes and the Means

The past few decades have seen a dramatic increase in the field of research in mental retardation. Significant work has been done on the genes involved in the various mental disorders. Cytogenetic assessments of such disorders analyze the association between the occurrence of chromosomal aberrations and specific syndromes. Recent techniques include the study of fragile sites, high resolution banding to identify subtle chromosomal aberrations and more recent techniques such as Fluorescent in Situ Hybridisation (FISH). These techniques, in addition to the various other molecular diagnostic assays, are valuable in the diagnosis, prevention and management of mental retardation. In addition, they are useful aids for appropriate Genetic Counselling for the affected and their families. New avenues of Gene therapy are available for treatment of these disorders.