Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Music and Lyrics by Arie Perry, M.D.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, classic prion disorder

CHORUS:
Oh CJD, it’s plain to see, your spongiform encephalopathy
Marked neuronal loss, it comes across
Gray matter is gliotic with cerebral atrophy
Please keep mutant prion proteins far away from me
Please keep mutant prion proteins far away from me


Rapid dementia is the first clue
Periodic sharp waves, and myoclonus too
Most are sporadic, one in a million rate
Beta-pleated PrP amyloid leads to poor fate, histology shows

CHORUS

Sporadic form is the common type
Infectious spread is rare, despite the media hype
Familial cases in five to ten percent
PrP germline mutations is what this represents, histology shows

CHORUS

Mad cow disease was linked within the U. K.
With new variant CJD, many bovines did they slay
Psychiatric symptoms and ataxia at young age
Homozygous Met at codon 129 will set the stage, histology shows

CHORUS