Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Case report: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: a case that initiated with the onset of obsessive-compulsive state

Background

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common reason for patients to seek symptomatic treatment in psychiatric departments, which makes it challenging to consider underlying organic nervous system diseases. However, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) can present with atypical symptoms, sometimes even as initial symptoms, leading to misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis. Lumbar puncture and brain DWI are important diagnostic methods for CJD, and the detection of 1,433 protein can be performed to confirm the diagnosis.

Case presentation

We present the case of a 63-year-old woman who was initially diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder in 2022. Despite seven months of symptomatic treatment, her symptoms did not improve. She also developed symptoms of altered consciousness, such as upper limb tremors and mutism. Based on brain DWI and positive results from the detection of 1,433 protein, she was ultimately diagnosed with CJD.

Conclusion

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) can manifest initially as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with atypical symptoms, making it prone to misdiagnosis. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct further investigations, including lumbar puncture and imaging, to exclude organic nervous system diseases before initiating symptomatic treatment for psychiatric disorders. This approach can facilitate early diagnosis of CJD and other potential organic neurological diseases.

Human Prion Disorders: Review of the Current Literature and a Twenty-Year Experience of the National Surveillance Center in the Czech Republic

Human prion disorders (transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, TSEs) are unique, progressive, and fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by aggregation of misfolded prion protein in neuronal tissue. Due to the potential transmission, human TSEs are under active surveillance in a majority of countries; in the Czech Republic data are centralized at the National surveillance center (NRL) which has a clinical and a neuropathological subdivision. The aim of our article is to review current knowledge about human TSEs and summarize the experience of active surveillance of human prion diseases in the Czech Republic during the last 20 years. Possible or probable TSEs undergo a mandatory autopsy using a standardized protocol. From 2001 to 2020, 305 cases of sporadic and genetic TSEs including 8 rare cases of Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS) were confirmed. Additionally, in the Czech Republic, brain samples from all corneal donors have been tested by the NRL immunology laboratory to increase the safety of corneal transplants since January 2007. All tested 6590 corneal donor brain tissue samples were negative for prion protein deposits. Moreover, the routine use of diagnostic criteria including biomarkers are robust enough, and not even the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted TSEs surveillance in the Czech Republic.

Extracellular Amyloid Deposits in Alzheimer's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: Similar Behavior of Different Proteins?

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the deposition of specific protein aggregates, both intracellularly and/or extracellularly, depending on the type of disease. The extracellular occurrence of tridimensional structures formed by amyloidogenic proteins defines Alzheimer's disease, in which plaques are composed of amyloid β-protein, while in prionoses, the same term "amyloid" refers to the amyloid prion protein. In this review, we focused on providing a detailed didactic description and differentiation of diffuse, neuritic, and burnt-out plaques found in Alzheimer's disease and kuru-like, florid, multicentric, and neuritic plaques in human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, followed by a systematic classification of the morphological similarities and differences between the extracellular amyloid deposits in these disorders. Both conditions are accompanied by the extracellular deposits that share certain signs, including neuritic degeneration, suggesting a particular role for amyloid protein toxicity.

Appropriate Evaluation of Psychiatric Patients Highlighted by Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: A Case Report

INTRODUCTION

Determination of medical stability for patients presenting with psychiatric complaints is common for emergency clinicians. A thorough history and physical examination is important.

CASE REPORT

A 53-year-old male presented to the emergency department (ED) with depression, suicidal ideation, and decline in activities of daily living over six months. While his initial neurologic examination was non-focal, subsequent re-evaluations demonstrated significant changes, and he was ultimately diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

CONCLUSION

This case demonstrates how a detailed history of the present illness could have led to a more accurate and timely medical disposition from the ED.

Prion Protein Signaling in the Nervous System—A Review and Perspective

Prion protein (PrPC) was originally known as the causative agent of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) but with recent research, its true function in cells is becoming clearer. It is known to act as a scaffolding protein, binding multiple ligands at the cell membrane and to be involved in signal transduction, passing information from the extracellular matrix (ECM) to the cytoplasm. Its role in the coordination of transmitters at the synapse, glyapse, and gap junction and in short- and long-range neurotrophic signaling gives PrPC a major part in neural transmission and nervous system signaling. It acts to regulate cellular function in multiple targets through its role as a controller of redox status and calcium ion flux. Given the importance of PrPC in cell physiology, this review considers its potential role in disease apart from TSE. The putative functions of PrPC point to involvement in neurodegenerative disease, neuropathic pain, chronic headache, and inflammatory disease including neuroinflammatory disease of the nervous system. Potential targets for the treatment of disease influenced by PrPC are discussed.