Posted on December 8, 2009 in Conditions and Diseases, Insomnia, Related Readings
What is FFI?
Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is a disease caused by the prion protein. It is a very rare autosomal inherited disease affecting the brain. It is caused by genetic mutation and therefore not infectious. It is fatal. It is seen in only about 50 families in the world. An offspring has a 50% chance of having FFI if either of the parents have it.
It was discovered in 1974 by an Italian doctor named Ignazio Roiter. With further research, it came to be known that FFI is caused by a mutation and malfunctioning of a prion protein.
Symptoms of FFI
This disease is usually manifested between the ages of 30 and 60, with the average being 50 years. There is no known trigger for the disease to start manifesting itself. It takes anywhere between 7 to 18 months from the time of manifestation to lead to fatality. Some patients have been known to survive up to 3 years.
- The patient experiences insomnia, panic attacks and suddenly develops a number of phobias. This is the first stage and goes on for approximately four months.
- The insomnia becomes more severe because of which the patient experiences panic attacks that are severe and frequent. The patient also experiences hallucinations. This lasts for an approximate five months.
- The next stage is where the patient is unable to sleep at all. There is also accelerated weight loss observed. This stage lasts for approximately three months.
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The last stage is where the patient develops dementia, loses the ability to respond and talk. This stage eventually leads to fatality.
Treatment
No known treatment exists for FFI as yet. Sleeping pills have been tried on patients but have been observed to worsen the condition. If symptoms are focused upon, the quality of the patients’ life could be improved to some extent, although that is not a cure.
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