Molecular diagnosis of neurological disorders in India

The last decade has seen remarkable advances in sequencing the human genes. There are more genes expressed in the brain than any other organ. The knowledge regarding the genome has led to tremendous progress in molecular characterization of the genes responsible for neurological disorders. The present review covers the molecular diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, and fragile X syndrome. These are three neurologic disorders common in India for which facilities of molecular diagnosis are currently available in the country. As a result of funding by the Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India, a number of molecular diagnostic centers are being established. It is hoped that molecular diagnosis of many more neurological disorders will soon become available in India.