Characteristics of Creutzfeldt – Jakob Disease

Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease
Author Name
Institution Affiliation
Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) is often regarded as a classic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. It is a brain disorder which is caused by a protein called the prion (Fantini & Yahi, 2015). In most cases, the disease is inherited from either the mother or father of a person. There is no evidence that Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease spreads through sexual or normal contacts or blood transfusions. It is possible to diagnose the illness via magnetic resonance imaging or electroencephalogram.
Characteristics of Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease
The illness can be characterized by progressive dementia. In the beginning, the patient may experience muscle pain or problems with muscular coordination (Budson & Solomon, 2016). In some circumstances, personality changes also occur, such as poor memory, inability to judge and think, and blurred vision. People with Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease are likely to develop unusual sensations, insomnia, and depression. However, this disorder does not cause fever or flu-like symptoms. With time, the patient’s mental impairment becomes severe; so there is a strong need to diagnose and cure Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease as soon as possible. The chance is that the patient will go blind and will eventually lose the ability to speak and move, followed by entering a coma.
How Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease is Transmitted?
Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease is not transmitted via the air, touching or other forms of casual contacts (Gilden, 2013). This means healthy people can get direct contact with CJD patients without any fear of developing the illness. There is a strong need to avoid the exposure to spinal cord fluid and brain tissue, as Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease can easily be transmitted via these materials. In some situations, Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease spreads through the graft of dura mater (which is a tissue covering the human brain), implementation of poorly sterilized electrodes in the human brain, injections of contaminated pituitary growth hormone, and transplanted corneas. For many years, the human growth hormone is being synthesized in ...