Prion Disease

Name Course number Instructor’s name Date Prion Disease Introduction Prion disease is a transmittable condition that progressively impairs or destroys the nervous system. In humans, it presents as an acquired, familial through genetic inheritance and as a sporadic infection. The most common prion disease is Creutzfeldt-Jakob, which may be either inherited or sporadic. The global prevalence of the disease is documented as affecting one or two cases in a million people per year (Imran, 2011). The effects on the nervous system may result in symptoms such as hallucinations, fatigue memory loss and speech and movement difficulties (Parchi & Saverioni, 2012). How the condition affects the nervous system The physical effect on the brain is characterized by a build-up of abnormal protein the brain. The build-up forms masses that impair the nerve cells creating perforations in the brain (Genetics Home Reference: Your Guide to Understanding Genetic Conditions, 2013). The condition has debilitating effects on brain functioning, movement, memory and personality. A patient develops memory loss and decreased cognitive ability, which decreases intellectual capacity for cognitive reasoning (Genetics Home Reference: Your Guide to Understanding Genetic Conditions, 2013). If curable what treatment is used? Diagnosis of the condition mostly occurs when the patient’s quality of life has greatly depreciated. This occurs due to the long incubation period of the disease making it difficult to establish its existence prior to its clinical onset. The interventions to prevent further damage to the nervous system become difficult. Even when the disease is detected early, there exists no viable treatment and all diagnosis leads to eventual death (Webb, Lekishvili, & Brown, 2007). Diagnosis is followed with various forms of medical interventions to slow the rate of nervous system damage and maintaining the patients in safe and comfortable states. This is because the condition does not yet have a cure. However studies to determine the efficacy of properties of Congo red in ending the production of abnormal protein (PrPSc ) is ongoing (Webb, Lekishvili,...