Creutzfeldt Jakob disease

Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (pronounced: /ˈkrɔɪtsfɛlt ˈjɑːkoʊb/), often abbreviated as CJD, is a rare and fatal degenerative brain disorder. It is characterized by rapidly progressive dementia and neurological symptoms.

Etymology

The disease is named after two German neurologists, Hans Gerhard Creutzfeldt and Alfons Maria Jakob, who first described the condition in the 1920s.

Symptoms

The symptoms of Creutzfeldt Jakob disease include rapid onset of memory loss, behavioral changes, lack of coordination and visual disturbances. As the disease progresses, severe mental impairment, involuntary movements, blindness, weakness of extremities, and coma may occur.

Causes

Creutzfeldt Jakob disease is caused by prions, which are abnormal pathogenic agents that are transmissible and are able to induce abnormal folding of specific normal cellular proteins called prion proteins that are found most abundantly in the brain.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of Creutzfeldt Jakob disease is based on a combination of clinical symptoms, neurological examination, electroencephalography (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and sometimes biopsy of brain tissue.

Treatment

There is currently no cure for Creutzfeldt Jakob disease. Treatment is focused on relieving symptoms and making the patient as comfortable as possible.

Related Terms

• Prion
• Dementia
• Neurodegenerative diseases
• Mad cow disease

See Also

• Alzheimer's disease
• Parkinson's disease
• Huntington's disease

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Creutzfeldt Jakob disease
• Wikipedia's article - Creutzfeldt Jakob disease

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