CJD Diagnosis Information

According to the National Institutes of Health, CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) is rare, occurring in one out of one million people around the globe. The fatal brain disease typically develops between ages 50 to 75, with death most commonly occurring within one year of diagnosis.

How Is the Disease Diagnosed?

• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is diagnosed with a thorough neurological exam and a spinal tap (in order to rule out other types of dementia like Alzheimer's or encephalitis). A brain biopsy is necessary to arrive at a definitive diagnosis.

Additional Testing

• MRI scans (magnetic resonance imaging) are helpful in identifying the characteristic degeneration that is associated with CJD. EEG (electroencephalogram) may also be useful in identifying specific brain abnormalities resulting from the disease.

Three Types of CJD

• Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease emerges in people with no risk factors for developing the condition. Hereditary CJD occurs in people with familyhistory of the disease and acquired CJD is contracted through contact with nervous system or brain tissue.

Symptoms

• Signs and symptoms of the brain disease include loss of coordination, impaired judgment, insomnia, impaired reasoning, depression, memory loss, vision problems, progressing dementia, usual feelings and sensations and involuntary movements.

Progressing Symptoms

• Symptoms usually progress rapidly along with the disease and include severe muscle weakness, blindness and coma.

Treatment

• There is no cure for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and there are no treatments to halt the disease's progression. Treatment goals are to alleviate symptoms and increase the patient's comfort.