Understanding the Best Nutritional Management for Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease Patients: A Comparison Between East Asian and Western Experiences

(1) Background: Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by the accumulation of an altered prion protein, which usually leads to death within one year after clinical onset. CJD patients usually present with rapid cognitive impairment associated with decli...

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Main Authors: Alessia Perna, Massimo Santoro, Elisa Colaizzo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Life
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/14/11/1496
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author Alessia Perna
Massimo Santoro
Elisa Colaizzo
author_facet Alessia Perna
Massimo Santoro
Elisa Colaizzo
author_sort Alessia Perna
collection DOAJ
description (1) Background: Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by the accumulation of an altered prion protein, which usually leads to death within one year after clinical onset. CJD patients usually present with rapid cognitive impairment associated with declines in cerebellar, motor, visual, behavioral, and swallowing functions. Moreover, CJD patients lose their ability to eat and take medications orally very early on in treatment; nevertheless, there are no specific nutritional guidelines for this disease shared worldwide. (2) Methods: This review aims to describe the nutritional outcomes of CJD patients in Western countries to compare them with those described in East Asian countries and then aims to explore the most recent trends in the nutritional management of CJD patients, including some dietary compounds that present neuroprotective effects. (3) Results: In Japan’s, Taiwan’s, and China’s healthcare systems, CJD patients receive intensive life-sustaining treatment that prolongs their survival (i.e., artificial feeding); conversely, in Western countries, intensive life-sustaining treatments like tube feeding are not commonly provided to CJD patients. (4) Conclusions: It is difficult to pinpoint the reasons for these discrepancies around CJD palliative care supply, but it is clear that specific nutritional guidelines may directly improve the nutritional management of CJD patients and thus allow their families and caregivers to ensure the best end-of-life care for these patients.
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spelling doaj-art-c8d3572ee54948ed9696eaf892fa8c602025-08-20T01:53:57ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292024-11-011411149610.3390/life14111496Understanding the Best Nutritional Management for Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease Patients: A Comparison Between East Asian and Western ExperiencesAlessia Perna0Massimo Santoro1Elisa Colaizzo2Center for Neuromuscular and Neurological Rare Diseases, San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, 00152 Rome, ItalyDivision of Biotechnologies, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Development (ENEA), 00123 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Disease, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy(1) Background: Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by the accumulation of an altered prion protein, which usually leads to death within one year after clinical onset. CJD patients usually present with rapid cognitive impairment associated with declines in cerebellar, motor, visual, behavioral, and swallowing functions. Moreover, CJD patients lose their ability to eat and take medications orally very early on in treatment; nevertheless, there are no specific nutritional guidelines for this disease shared worldwide. (2) Methods: This review aims to describe the nutritional outcomes of CJD patients in Western countries to compare them with those described in East Asian countries and then aims to explore the most recent trends in the nutritional management of CJD patients, including some dietary compounds that present neuroprotective effects. (3) Results: In Japan’s, Taiwan’s, and China’s healthcare systems, CJD patients receive intensive life-sustaining treatment that prolongs their survival (i.e., artificial feeding); conversely, in Western countries, intensive life-sustaining treatments like tube feeding are not commonly provided to CJD patients. (4) Conclusions: It is difficult to pinpoint the reasons for these discrepancies around CJD palliative care supply, but it is clear that specific nutritional guidelines may directly improve the nutritional management of CJD patients and thus allow their families and caregivers to ensure the best end-of-life care for these patients.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/14/11/1496Creutzfeldt–Jakob diseaseprion diseaseartificial feedingtube feedgastrostomynutrition management
spellingShingle Alessia Perna
Massimo Santoro
Elisa Colaizzo
Understanding the Best Nutritional Management for Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease Patients: A Comparison Between East Asian and Western Experiences
Life
Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
prion disease
artificial feeding
tube feed
gastrostomy
nutrition management
title Understanding the Best Nutritional Management for Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease Patients: A Comparison Between East Asian and Western Experiences
title_full Understanding the Best Nutritional Management for Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease Patients: A Comparison Between East Asian and Western Experiences
title_fullStr Understanding the Best Nutritional Management for Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease Patients: A Comparison Between East Asian and Western Experiences
title_full_unstemmed Understanding the Best Nutritional Management for Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease Patients: A Comparison Between East Asian and Western Experiences
title_short Understanding the Best Nutritional Management for Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease Patients: A Comparison Between East Asian and Western Experiences
title_sort understanding the best nutritional management for creutzfeldt jakob disease patients a comparison between east asian and western experiences
topic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
prion disease
artificial feeding
tube feed
gastrostomy
nutrition management
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/14/11/1496
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