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Causes of CBD

CBD, or corticobasal degeneration, is a rare neurological disorder that results from the loss of nerve cells in the brain. This can affect the patient both in mobility and cognitive skills, and as a progressive disorder its symptoms worsen over time. At the time of publication, there is no known cause yet for CBD, as no strong links exist with genetics, toxins or infections.

  1. The Disease

    • CBD afflicts the elderly, typically after the age of 60. The disease itself is characterized by how it affects the brain. The nerve cell loss and atropy --- or shrinkage --- affect many parts of the brain, and this includes the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia. Because of this the disease also goes by CBGD, for corticobasal ganglionic degeneration. The severity of the symptoms depend on the areas affected by the disease.

    Symptoms

    • CBD shares similarities with other neural disorders, and can often go misdiagnosed. Because CBD affects many parts of the brain, the disease manifests several types of symptoms. This includes Parkinson's-type symptoms with tremors and loss of muscle control, as well as rigidity and postural instability. Eventually, swallowing and speech become impaired, as well as the patient's ability to walk. These get worse over time as the disease progresses.

    Prognosis

    • The onset of CBD occurs between the ages of 60 and 70, and the prognosis for those afflicted is poor. The disease gets worse over time, usually over the span of about six to eight years, and is resistant to therapy. This means the treatment is limited mostly to dealing with the symptoms. Medicine generally is administered to reduce tremors. Fatalities stem from complications, such as sepsis, pneumonia or pulmonary embolism.

    Tau Protein

    • Though no studies have conclusively proved a cause for CBD, research has linked neurological disorders to the malfunction of tau protein found in the brain. Normally tau protein stabilizes neuronal microtubules, but in some cases it can undergo certain modifications that can result in it being toxic to nerve cells. This links tau pathology for the neurodegenerative process, possibly linking it to such diseases as familial frontotemporal dementia, Parkinsonism and CBD.

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