Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Creutzfeldt–Jakob or CJD is a degenerative neurological disease that is incurable and invariably fatal. CJD is at times called a human form of mad cow disease. CJD is caused by an agent called a prion. Prions are misfolded proteins that replicate by converting their properly folded counterparts, in their host, to the same misfolded structure they possess. CJD causes the brain tissue to degenerate rapidly, and as the disease destroys the brain, the brain develops holes and the texture changes to resemble that of a kitchen sponge. The first symptom of CJD is rapidly progressive dementia, leading to memory loss, personality changes, and hallucinations. Other frequently occurring features include anxiety, depression, paranoia, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and psychosis.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder with a worldwide incidence of 1-1.5 per million. As in other countries, a CJD surveillance unit with a clinical and neuropathological approach was established in Goettingen (Germany) in 1993. Here we report the epidemiological data from a prospective 12-year surveillance. Since 1993, there has been an increasing incidence of CJD, from 0.7 in 1993 to 1.6 in 2005 with a quite stable level since 1998.

No generally accepted treatment for CJD exists; the disease is invariably fatal and research continues. Amphotericin B and Doxorubicin have been investigated as potentially effective against CJD, but as yet there is no strong evidence that either drug is effective in stopping the disease. Further study has been taken with other medical drugs, but none are effective. However, drugs to reduce suffering do exist, and include valproate, an anticonvulsant agent, clonazepam and benzodiazepine, to reduce muscle jerks.
The ongoing researches in Germany on Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease include: Diagnostic profiles of patients with late-onset Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease differ from those of younger Creutzfeldt-Jakob patients, Doxycycline in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with mesiotemporal hypermetabolism.