Cjd creutzfeldt-jakob disease - (prion)

Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease (CJD) progressively destroys brain cells, and it causes tiny holes in the brain. People with CJD will have ataxia, or difficulty controlling body movements, abnormal gait, speech, and dementia. Prion infections also cause small holes to develop in the brain, so it becomes sponge-like. The damage to the brain causes the mental and physical impairment associated with CJD and eventually leads to death. Sporadic CJD is more likely to occur in people who have specific versions of the prion protein gene. Familial or inherited CJD is a rare form of CJD. Electroencephalogram (EEG) measures the brain's patterns of electrical activity similar to the way an electrocardiogram (ECG) measures the heart's electrical activity.CJD caused by an inherited mutation (abnormality) in the gene that produces the prion protein. Opiate drugs may be prescribed to patients with CJD to help relieve pain, while clonazepam and sodium evaporate may help relieve involuntary muscle jerks.