What is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease?
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare untreatable condition that affects the brain. It causes brain damage that worsens rapidly over time. Those with CJD are especially vulnerable to infection.
What causes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease?
CJD is caused by abnormal infectious proteins called prions. A person can be infected by prions in different ways depending on what type of CJD they have.
- Sporadic CJD – The exact cause is unknown but it is thought to be due to a normal brain protein misfolding and turning into a prion.
- Variant CJD – Caused by consuming meat from a cow that had a condition called bovine spongiform encephalopathy which is also known as BSE or mad cow disease.
- Familial CJD – Occurs when a person inherits the prion protein gene that carries a mutation causing prions to form in their brain.
- Iatrogenic CJD – Occurs when the infectious prions are accidentally spread through medical or surgical treatment.
What are the symptoms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease?
Symptoms of CJD include:
- A decline in intellect and memory
- Changes in personality
- Loss of balance and coordination
- Slurred speech
- Vision problems/blindness
- Involuntary jerking movements.
CJD and prion diseases are rare, progressive and currently always fatal, with no existing treatments. The initial symptoms can vary depending on the area of the brain affected first.
