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Heritability of cluster headache
Author(s) -
Montagna Pasquale,
Mochi Mirella,
Prologo Guido,
Sangiorgi Simonetta,
Pierangeli Giulia,
Cevoli Sabina,
Cortelli Pietro
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
european journal of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.881
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1468-1331
pISSN - 1351-5101
DOI - 10.1046/j.1468-1331.1998.540343.x
Subject(s) - heritability , proband , medicine , family aggregation , penetrance , index case , incidence (geometry) , cluster (spacecraft) , demography , population , family history , disease , genetics , biology , environmental health , mutation , programming language , physics , sociology , computer science , phenotype , optics , gene
We conducted a pedigree analysis in 222 patients with cluster headaches (CHs) in order to assess a familial predisposition to the disease. Heritability was determined by Falconer's index (from the incidence of CH among first degree relatives of probands compared with a control population), which varies between 0 and 1 (none or full genetic causation). A positive family history (I/II degree relatives) was found in 2.3% of our CH patients. Three generations were affected in one family and two generations in another two families. The calculated Falconer's heritability index was, however, only 0.26 ± 0.25 SD. Our study confirms a higher familial occurrence of CH, some families showing a pattern compatible with autosomal dominant inheritance with reduced penetrance. The low Falconer's index indicates, however, a large non‐genetic causation in most cases of CH.