What is a genetic association study?
A genetic association study is, in essence, a case-control study (Hattersley et al, Lancet 2005) It examines the frequency of an allele in a particular gene in patients with the disease, compared against controls. Genetic association studies have proliferated in the past 5 years, particularly in the field of epilepsy, with the aim of understanding the common genes and polymorphisms that may increase risk of common epilepsies.
