[Genetic factors in Asperger syndrome].

Asperger syndrome (or Aperger's disorder) is one of the syndromes of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (or pervasive developmental disorder). Twin and family studies have indicated that genetic factors play a significant role in the development of ASD, including "classical" autism, in a complicated fashion of inheritance. The role may be more significant than in other major psychiatric disorders. Genome-wide linkage studies and cytogenetic studies suggest several chromosomal regions, including 2q, 7q and 15q, for linkage with autism and ASD. While the 7q region is considered the most promising in autism, linkage studies in Asperger syndrome have failed to observe its linkage to this region. Whether the genetic studies should be conducted separately in Asperger syndrome or in the entire ASD might be an issue of discussion for future studies.