Creutzfeldt – Jakob disease known as (CJD) is a rare neurodegenerative disease that breaks down the brain only infecting about one million people worldwide. CJD belongs to a family of human animal diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Infected brains become filled with holes looking like sponges. There are also other TSEs Kuru, fatal familial, insomnia FFI, and Gerstmann-Staussler-Scheinker disease (GSS). CJD is caused by glycoprotein called a prion. Prion which means Proteinaceous infectious particle or PrP.
(Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease fact sheet, 2003) There are three types of CJD. All have a different effect on the human body. The most common type is Sporadic. Sporadic is the one caused by the harmful …show more content…
Within six months or less after symptoms begin people with the most common case of CJD which is sporadic, will be unable to care for themselves. People may die within eight months, but some people will survive up to two years after symptoms appear. Infection, heart failure, and respiratory failure are usually the cause of death. There is no treatment for CJD, prions survive even outside of the human body. They survive cooking, freezing, pickling, and even sometimes autoclaving which is sterilization in sodium hydroxide. There are several ways to diagnose this disease. Spinal testing for a protein called 14-3-3, MRI of the brain, Electroencephalogram (EEG), CT scan of the brain, and blood tests may be done on a person. CJD can only be confirmed with a brain biopsy or autopsy and now in the medical field it is very rare for that to be done. Doctors offer several different medications that have been used to slow down the process of the disease. Antibiotics, interferon, blood thinners, drugs for epilepsy and anti-depressants have all been known to not work very well. Providing a safe environment to control aggression and agitated behavior is the best type of
(Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease fact sheet, 2003) There are three types of CJD. All have a different effect on the human body. The most common type is Sporadic. Sporadic is the one caused by the harmful …show more content…
Within six months or less after symptoms begin people with the most common case of CJD which is sporadic, will be unable to care for themselves. People may die within eight months, but some people will survive up to two years after symptoms appear. Infection, heart failure, and respiratory failure are usually the cause of death. There is no treatment for CJD, prions survive even outside of the human body. They survive cooking, freezing, pickling, and even sometimes autoclaving which is sterilization in sodium hydroxide. There are several ways to diagnose this disease. Spinal testing for a protein called 14-3-3, MRI of the brain, Electroencephalogram (EEG), CT scan of the brain, and blood tests may be done on a person. CJD can only be confirmed with a brain biopsy or autopsy and now in the medical field it is very rare for that to be done. Doctors offer several different medications that have been used to slow down the process of the disease. Antibiotics, interferon, blood thinners, drugs for epilepsy and anti-depressants have all been known to not work very well. Providing a safe environment to control aggression and agitated behavior is the best type of