EURO-HD: Genetic Modifiers working group
 
To be held April 20^th in Cardiff, UK
 
The meeting will run from 9-4.30 on April 20^th: we expect that most people will travel on the 19^th and we will arrange a dinner in the evening, followed by the full scientific meeting the following day. 
 
Outline of programme:
This is an outline of topics we feel we need to cover – not necessarily in this order.  We will also have plenty of time for discussion built into the final programme.
 
Session 1
Genetics of modifiers and challenges
 
9-9.10 Introduction Lesley Jones
 
Session 1: what can we learn from other studies?
 
Chair Oliver Bandmann
 
910 – 9.50           Jim Gusella/Marcy MacDonald: Genetic modifier studies ongoing in the USA: MAPsibs and input into designing fresh studies.
 
9.50 – 10.30        Javier Gayan: previous work using the Venezualan pedigrees: the challenges of the analyses associated with this work.
 
Coffee
 
11.00 – 11.30      Peter Holmans:  Heritability, covariate analysis, power, nature of samples and sample size.  Data we need to collect for genetic epidemiology to detemine heritability of phenotypes. 
 
11.30 – 12.00      Bernhard: how the family relationships will be stored in the EHDN database and availability of DNA.  CAG repeat resizing.
 
12.00 – 12.30      Discussion: what information do we need?
 
Session 2
Defining the phenotypes and collecting information
 
1.30 – 1.50          Peter Kraus: Motor rating scales
 
1.50 – 2.10          Jennifer Humphries: Cognitive rating scales
 
2.10 – 2.30          Oliver Quarrell: juvenile HD
 
2.30 – 3.00          Discussion: what information do we need?
 
3.00 – 3.30        Coffee                                                                                                                                            
Session 3
Studies we might propose as starting points:
 
3.30 – 3.45          Lesley Jones: Psychiatric symptoms
                         
3.45 – 4.00          Oliver Bandmann: Disease progression
                         
Session 4
 
4.00 – 4.30        Current state of genotyping technologies, potential power of methods and their costs
Someone from Cardiff neuropsychiatric genetics unit.
 
4.30 – 5.00          Planning next moves