University of Oklahoma
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Cody Clay
HES-1823-003
Professor Joshua Carr
23 November 2015
Cody Clay
Professor Joshua Carr
HES-1823-003
23 November 2015
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is a rare, degenerative, inevitably fatal brain disorder that eats away at the infected person’s brain and can have many different potential causes (NINDS). There are four types of CJD; Sporadic or Classical CJD, the most common form, which occurs for a still unknown reason, and accounts for about 85% of the cases. This form of the illness is shorter than the other forms, and usually affects adults aged 50 and over. Another form is Inherited or Familial CJD, which is caused by a genetic mutation and accounts for less than …show more content…
CJD also has a long incubation period of up to 30 years. In familial CJD, symptoms typically do not appear until the second half of life, when the gene may have already been passed unknowingly to offspring. Symptoms also vary depending on the type of CJD a patient has (Helpguide). Early symptoms of both sporadic and iatrogenic CJD can include mood swings, depression, anxiety, memory lapses, social withdrawal, clumsiness or lack of coordination and insomnia (HelpGuide). In inherited CJD, symptoms may include visual disturbances, fatigue, and bizarre behavior. As the disease progresses, people with any form of CJD usually experience visual deterioration, dementia, involuntary muscle contractions, muscle paralysis, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, incontinence and coma (Helpguide). However, CJD generally causes some unique changes in a person’s brain tissue, which can be seen at autopsy. The disease also seems to cause more rapid deterioration of a person’s abilities than Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Cody Clay
HES-1823-003
Professor Joshua Carr
23 November 2015
Cody Clay
Professor Joshua Carr
HES-1823-003
23 November 2015
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is a rare, degenerative, inevitably fatal brain disorder that eats away at the infected person’s brain and can have many different potential causes (NINDS). There are four types of CJD; Sporadic or Classical CJD, the most common form, which occurs for a still unknown reason, and accounts for about 85% of the cases. This form of the illness is shorter than the other forms, and usually affects adults aged 50 and over. Another form is Inherited or Familial CJD, which is caused by a genetic mutation and accounts for less than …show more content…
CJD also has a long incubation period of up to 30 years. In familial CJD, symptoms typically do not appear until the second half of life, when the gene may have already been passed unknowingly to offspring. Symptoms also vary depending on the type of CJD a patient has (Helpguide). Early symptoms of both sporadic and iatrogenic CJD can include mood swings, depression, anxiety, memory lapses, social withdrawal, clumsiness or lack of coordination and insomnia (HelpGuide). In inherited CJD, symptoms may include visual disturbances, fatigue, and bizarre behavior. As the disease progresses, people with any form of CJD usually experience visual deterioration, dementia, involuntary muscle contractions, muscle paralysis, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, incontinence and coma (Helpguide). However, CJD generally causes some unique changes in a person’s brain tissue, which can be seen at autopsy. The disease also seems to cause more rapid deterioration of a person’s abilities than Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia