Fatal insomnia

Fatal insomnia has no known cure and involves progressively worsening insomnia, which leads to hallucinations, delirium, and confusional states like that of dementia, until the patient slips into a stupor and eventually dies. The average survival time from onset of symptoms is 18 months .

People who develop fatal familial insomnia typically live 7 months to 3 years after the symptoms appear, though some people live longer. The symptoms are mild at first and may not impact day to day activities. As sleep problems worsen and other symptoms develop, these activities become more challenging.14 Nis 2020

FFI is caused by an abnormal variant (gene mutation) of the PRNP gene . Genes provide instructions for creating proteins that play a critical role in many functions of the body. When a mutation of a gene occurs, the protein product may be faulty, inefficient, absent, or overproduced.

Stage 1: Progressive insomnia , which may feature increased anxiety, panic attacks and phobias. Stage 2: A worsening of panic attacks and hallucinations. Stage 3: Rapid weight loss paired with a complete loss of the ability to sleep. Stage 4: Profound dementia.