Many researchers believe these deposits are in some way related to the etiology of both of these disease entities. The continuing identification of specific gene mutations involved in the pathogenesis of certain diseases will have as one consequence an improvement in diagnostic and therapeutic techniques that will considerably benefit patients with these diseases. Britain's main bioethics advisory panel has now issued a strong warning against attempts to use genetic screening to predict an individual's susceptibility to common mental health disorders such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. The Nuffield Council on Bioethics, Britain's national forum in this domain, has therefore suggested in its recent report that regulations could be needed. It has therefore recommended that genetic testing for susceptibility genes which offer relatively low predictive or diagnostic certainty be discouraged unless and until there is clear medical benefit to the patient.
Panel urges caution on genetic testing for mental disorders.
Restrict genetic susceptibility tests.