Conditions That Cause Secondary Myoclonus

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a degenerative and fatal brain disorder. There are approximately 350 cases each year in the United States. Experts estimate about one in one million individuals in the world has the illness. The symptoms usually begin at around sixty years old, and around seventy percent of patients die in less than a year. The early stages cause behavioral changes, failing memory, visual disturbances, and a lack of coordination. Mental deterioration is more pronounced as time goes by, with involuntary movements becoming common. Other common late-stage symptoms include weakness in the extremities, blindness, and coma. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease has three main categories. The sporadic type appears in individuals without any risk factors and makes up about eighty-five percent of cases. The hereditary type occurs in individuals with a family history of the condition and a specific Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease-related gene mutation. The acquired type involves disease transmission through exposure to the nervous system or brain tissue.

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