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Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Research Paper

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Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, also known as, CJD, is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the brain. CJD is a human version of Mad Cow Disease. CJD rapidly impairs brain cells and causes very small holes in the brain. It is rare, and has fewer than 1,000 cases per year. It affects one in every million each year. It is common in people over the age of sixty, and is scarce in people under the age of thirty.
The symptoms are of CJD are much like the symptoms of Alzheimer's, although Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease advances more rapidly. Symptoms can include memory loss, anxiety, complications controlling body movements, dementia, and personality changes. CJD is caused by a prion protein. A prion is neither a bacteria or a virus. The expansion of prions on the brain cells conclusively result in brain damage and even death. …show more content…

It is either inherited, acquired, or sporadic. Eighty-five percent of cases are sporadic, while only five to ten percent of cases are inherited. There are currently no tests that can be completed to confirm the diagnosis of CJD. Although too risky for a living person, a brain biopsy can determine whether one has CJD or not. There are several tests that can be completed to determine the most likely cause. A physical examination can be done to check a person’s reflexes and watch out for muscle spasms. To rule out a stroke being the cause, a magnetic resonance imaging test (MRI) or a computerized tomography (CT) scan can be performed. A spinal tap can also be completed to “test spinal fluid to rule out other causes of dementia. It can show if there is an infection or increased pressure in the central nervous system(CNS)”. An electroencephalogram (EEG) can be done, as well as a vision

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