What is the mode of inheritance for Parkinson's disease?

The jury is still out for the full genetic basis for PD.

The latest concept is that Parkinson's disease is genetic and can remain dormant for generations. One reason that PD was not thought to be primarily or strictly genetic in nature was that sometimes many generations were skipped. It is possible that other factors have to act as the trigger. Environmental, medications, heavy metal exposure and the like.

I put the BEST LINK IN THE MIDDLE and that has the info that you seek but read down first as the expository info will be in the earlier links.

The first link is for two studies completed in 2008 by two researchers from the Mayo clinic where PD studies have been conducted for many years.

In one study a mutation of LRRK2-R1628P has been traced back to 2,500 BC. LRRK2-G2385R has been traced back 4,500 years.

Another study found that LRRK2-R1441C can increase the chances of developing PD by 10X.

http://www.scientistlive.com/European-Sc...

Next let's go to the LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinease2) autosomal dominant mutation which you can read about here for starters because it has been identified in almost 5% of PD cases:

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet...

There is a study currently recruiting for a LRRK2 study in Maryland:

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00...

Glucocerebrosidase gene

GBA mutations (N370S, L444P, 84GG, IVS+1, V394L, and R496H) that are most common among Ashkenazi Jews

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur...

70117-0/abstract

and GBA-Gly2019SER here:

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/shor...

A study published in 2007 indicated that genetic mutations were 2X as common in YOPD (Young or early onset Parkinson's Disease) and in people of Jewish Ancestry - specifically Ashkenazic)

Here is an abstract link about DJ-1, an autosomal recessive linked to PD. The abstract also references PARK6 and PARK7:

http://jnnp.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract...

The BEST GENE DATA BASE - it is a public and you can link to the site to see it:

http://datam.i2r.a-star.edu.sg/mdpd/stat...

In this chart you will see the gene, the number of reports and ethnic groups

Naturally it begins with LRRK2. PARK2 followed by SNCA, CYP2D6, PINK1, MAPT, UCHL1, MAOB, PARK7 and APOE

It then lists the top 10 genes with the most variants followed by the top 10 with the most negative reports.

There are several other comparisons you can do at the site, it is amazing. Check it out.

While it is true that more men than women develop PD that may be because of a bioprotectiveness of estrogen. Which of course ends at sometime with menopause.

You should probably search for Chinese - HAN - gene - Parkinson's disease. You might find the rest of the answer which you need. There are also several familial studies. I have read the abstracts but not the full studies.

Here are a few which should help:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12730...

Here's a familial study from Italy but it is older, 2003:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12873...

To properly search just enter each term with Parkinson's disease and you will find a host of abstracts and some articles about the abstracts. You will not find definitive answers because they aren't there yet. PD is a complicated disease but at least we are closer to understanding how the a problem in the combination of calcium channels, alpha synuclein and cytosolic dopamine are the cause of the dopamine neuron death. Why? Some misfolded protein? on a gene? Overproduction of glutamate caused by? Environmental toxin? Head Trauma? Loss of estrogen? Is most PD genetic And waiting for that trigger?

The above answer is MINE from a Yahoo Answer previous question.

The inheritance pattern of Parkinson's Disease is not definitely known, because it is not always caused by a genetic factor- it sometimes appears in people with no history of PD in their family. Basically, no one knows for sure what causes it, other than to say that certain cells in the brain do not produce the chemical dopamine, which is required for normal muscle functioning/coordination..