Genetic Characterization of Movement Disorders and Dementias

• INCLUSION CRITERIA

For Patients

• Diagnosis of a movement disorder or dementia by a neurologist or other qualified professional and accompanied by sufficient clinical and/or laboratory evidence to support the diagnosis
• Confirmation of a movement disorder or dementia by study investigators or a qualified clinician by physical examination and/or review of medical records
• Ages 18 and above
• Able to provide consent or, in the case of subjects without consent capacity, have a legally authorized representative to provide consent
• Able to understand and participate in study procedures or for those without consent capacity, able to participate in study procedures AND has a legally authorized representative that understands the study procedures and can consent on their behalf.

For unaffected family members of patients

• Unaffected relative of a patient diagnosed with a movement disorder or dementia enrolled in this protocol. For these purposes, we define a family member as an individual for which there is a demonstrable relationship with the proband in the pedigree. This is a standard approach used in family-based studies. Furthermore, the related patient (defined as a family member diagnosed with the disease of interest) must be enrolled in the study.
• Ages 18 and above
• Able to provide consent
• Able to understand and participate in study procedures

For unrelated healthy control individuals

• Be in good general health
• Have no known movement disorder or dementia, or family member with a movement disorder or dementia
• Ages 18 and above
• Able to provide consent
• Able to understand and participate in study procedures

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

For patients

-An identifiable, non-genetic etiology for the movement disorder or dementia, such as a specific environmental exposure, birth injury, metabolic disorder, or brain infection such as encephalitis

For all participants

• Clinically significant anemia that would make phlebotomy unsafe, and participant unwilling to provide saliva sample.
• Clinically significant bleeding that would make phlebotomy unsafe, and participant unwilling to provide saliva sample.
• Any medical condition that would make phlebotomy unsafe or undesirable, such as a serious medical illness like unstable heart disease, or unstable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and participant unwilling to provide saliva sample.