Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40890602›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurodevelopmental disorders2025

Preliminary perspectives on gene therapy in fragile X syndrome: a caregiver view.

Sarah E A Eley, Sydni Weissgold, Andrew C Stanfield

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurodevelopmental disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Sarah E A EleyUniversity of Edinburgh, Patrick Wild Centre, George Square, Edinburgh, UK. s.eley@ed.ac.uk.
Sydni WeissgoldUniversity of Edinburgh, Patrick Wild Centre, George Square, Edinburgh, UK.
Andrew C StanfieldUniversity of Edinburgh, Patrick Wild Centre and Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, George Square, Edinburgh, UK. Andrew.Stanfield@ed.ac.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere have been increasing numbers of clinical trials of medications for fragile X syndrome (FXS) in recent years, many targeted at proposed underlying cellular or circuit based mechanisms. As yet none of these have led to widespread changes in clinical practice. Genetic therapies represent a different therapeutic approach, which aim to address the genetic mechanisms by which FXS arises. Although not yet moving into human studies in FXS, this is an area of increasing research importance in neurodevelopmental conditions more broadly. It is important that families affected by FXS get the chance to give their views about future genetic therapies, given the potential controversies around genetic therapies.

methodsWe developed a questionnaire to capture caregiver views around gene therapy in FXS. The questionnaire was developed alongside a group of parents / caregivers of a child with FXS to ensure the language used was appropriate and that it would allow a variety of views to be captured. The questionnaire contained questions around current knowledge of gene therapy, what families think of gene therapy and their views on gene therapy trials taking place. Responses were analysed by thematic analysis carried out by two of the authors with data from the questionnaires being grouped into themes and subthemes.

resultsThe questionnaire was completed by 195 individuals who are parents of, or who care for, someone with FXS. Respondents were primarily from the UK (60.5%) and the Americas (22.1%). The majority of dependants were male (86%). Responses showed a strong interest from the Fragile X community in gene therapy trials taking place, with themes emerging around quality of life, outcomes and feelings. Hope for positive change was balanced against caution about unintended consequences, the newness of the treatment and tolerability.

conclusionOverall, caregivers felt hopeful, excited and interested in the prospect of gene therapy potentially providing a new treatment option, but there was some trepidation about the potential effects. Taking caregiver views into account will help inform decisions around the development and testing of any future genetic interventions.

Indexed as

CaregiversFragile X SyndromeGenetic TherapyHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeParentsAdolescentAdultChildFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesFragile X syndromeGene therapyQualitativeQuestionnaireTreatmentViews

Identifiers

PMID40890602
PMCPMC12400708

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.