Season 4: Episode 52- Young Onset Dementia: Genetic Testing - To test or not to test?

In this final episode of our Young Onset Dementia series, guest host Jillian McConnell speaks with Dr. Mario Masellis, Associate scientist and Clinician-scientist with the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute & Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; Assistant professor, neurology, department of medicine, University of Toronto and Research scientist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Jillian and Dr. Masellis discuss what genetic testing looks like for someone who has a close family relative that is living with Young Onset dementia, how testing for Young onset dementia is different from other diseases, who is a good candidate for genetic testing, and the implications of deciding to test or decide not to test for Young Onset dementia. 

Resources: 

• Genetic Testing and Alzheimer’s Disease - https://alzheimer.ca/en/about-dementia/what-alzheimers-disease/genetic-testing-alzheimers-disease
• Alzheimer's genes: Are you at risk? - https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/in-depth/alzheimers-genes/art-20046552
• A Few Facts about Genetic Testing and Young Onset Dementia - https://alzheimer.ca/en/about-dementia/other-types-dementia/young-onset-dementia/genetics
• Alzheimer Society of Canada, Young Onset Dementia - https://alzheimer.ca/en/about-dementia/other-types-dementia/young-onset-dementia
• brainXchange, Young Onset Dementia Resource Page - https://brainxchange.ca/Public/Resource-Centre-Topics-A-to-Z/Young-Onset-Dementia