In a post on its newly opened blog, Too, Sergey Brin, one of the two co-founders of Google, has decided to speak about a sensitive issue: he carries a specific gene mutation that increases his likelihood of contracting Parkinson’s disease.

Sergey Brin has discovered through 23andMe, the genetics testing start-up co-founded by his wife, Anne Wojcicki, that he carries a particular mutation of the LRRK2, the gene responsible for Parkinson’s. The mutation, known as G2019S, is rare even among people with the disease, but in some ethnic groups, accounts for a substantial proportion of familial Parkinson's.

Based on these findings, Sergey Brin said that he has higher chance of developing Parkinson's in his lifetime than the average person.

“In fact, it is somewhere between 20% to 80% depending on the study and how you measure,” he wrote.

Brin’s mother, who already has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, carries the same genetic mutation.

“This leaves me in a rather unique position. I know early in my life something I am substantially predisposed to. I now have the opportunity to adjust my life to reduce those odds (e.g. there is evidence that exercise may be protective against Parkinson's). I also have the opportunity to perform and support research into this disease long before it may affect me. And, regardless of my own health it can help my family members as well as others,” wrote Sergey Brin on his blog.

Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder, which occurs when certain nerve cells (neurons) in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra die or become impaired. Normally, these cells produce a vital chemical known as dopamine. Dopamine allows smooth, coordinated function of the body's muscles and movement. When approximately 80% of the dopamine-producing cells are damaged, the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease appear.

Symptoms for Parkinson’s disease include tremor (uncontrollable shaking of hands), slowness in movement, rigidity and difficulty with balance. In the United States, it is estimated that 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, joining the 1.5 million Americans who currently have Parkinson’s disease. While the condition usually develops after the age of 65, 15% of those diagnosed are under 50.

Sergey Brin, a native of Moscow, received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in mathematics and computer science from the University of Maryland at College Park.

He is currently on leave from the Ph.D. program in computer science at Stanford University, where he received his master's degree.

It was at Stanford where Sergey Brin met Larry Page and worked on the project that became Google. Together they founded Google Inc. in 1998, and Brin continues to share responsibility for day-to-day operations with Larry Page and Eric Schmidt.