Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)

What is Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease?

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, degenerative, invariably fatal brain disorder. Typically, onset of symptoms occurs at about age 60. There are three major categories of CJD:  sporadic CJD, hereditary CJD, and acquired CJD. There is currently no single diagnostic test for CJD. The first concern is to rule out treatable forms of dementia such as encephalitis or chronic meningitis. The only way to confirm a diagnosis of CJD is by brain biopsy or autopsy. In a brain biopsy, a neurosurgeon removes a small piece of tissue from the patient's brain so that it can be examined by a neurologist. Because a correct diagnosis of CJD does not help the patient, a brain biopsy is discouraged unless it is need to rule out a treatable disorder. While CJD can be transmitted to other people, the risk of this happening is extremely small.

Is there any treatment?

What is the prognosis?

What research is being done?

NIH Patient Recruitment for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Clinical Trials

• At NIH Clinical Center
• Throughout the U.S. and Worldwide

Organizations

Publicaciones en Español

• Enfermedad de Creutzfeldt-Jakob

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cjd/cjd.htm