Question: What is (are) Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease ?
Answer: Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease (GSS) is a type of prion disease, which is a group of conditions that affect the nervous system. Signs and symptoms generally develop between ages 35 and 50 years and may include progressive ataxia, cognitive dysfunction, slurred speech and spasticity. On average, people affected by GSS survive approximately 60 months (range 2 to 10 years) following diagnosis. It is caused by changes (mutations) in the PRNP gene and is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Treatment is based on the signs and symptoms present in each person. For information on other prion diseases, please visit GARD's Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and fatal familial insomnia pages.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the symptoms of Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease ?
Answer: What are the signs and symptoms of Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease? Signs and symptoms of Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease generally develop between ages 35 and 50 years. Affected people may experience: Progressive ataxia, including clumsiness, unsteadiness, and difficulty walking Cognitive disfunction leading to bradyphrenia (slowness of thought processing) and dementia Dysarthria (slurred speech) Nystagmus Spasticity (rigid muscle tone) Visual disturbances, sometimes leading to blindness Lack of coordination in swallowing Deafness Parkinsonian features (present in some families) The Human Phenotype Ontology provides the following list of signs and symptoms for Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease. If the information is available, the table below includes how often the symptom is seen in people with this condition. You can use the MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary to look up the definitions for these medical terms. Signs and Symptoms Approximate number of patients (when available) Adult onset - Aggressive behavior - Apraxia - Areflexia - Autosomal dominant inheritance - Bradykinesia - Cerebellar atrophy - Dementia - Depression - Dysarthria - Emotional lability - Gait ataxia - Hyperreflexia - Impaired smooth pursuit - Limb ataxia - Lower limb muscle weakness - Memory impairment - Myoclonus - Neurofibrillary tangles - Parkinsonism - Perseveration - Personality changes - Phenotypic variability - Psychosis - Rapidly progressive - Rigidity - Spasticity - Tremor - Truncal ataxia - Weight loss - The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) has collected information on how often a sign or symptom occurs in a condition. Much of this information comes from Orphanet, a European rare disease database. The frequency of a sign or symptom is usually listed as a rough estimate of the percentage of patients who have that feature. The frequency may also be listed as a fraction. The first number of the fraction is how many people had the symptom, and the second number is the total number of people who were examined in one study. For example, a frequency of 25/25 means that in a study of 25 people all patients were found to have that symptom. Because these frequencies are based on a specific study, the fractions may be different if another group of patients are examined. Sometimes, no information on frequency is available. In these cases, the sign or symptom may be rare or common.
Source: GARD

Question: What causes Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease ?
Answer: What causes Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease? Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease (GSS) is usually caused by certain changes (mutations) in the PRNP gene. PRNP encodes a protein called prion protein. Although the exact function of this protein is unknown, it appears to play an important role in the human brain and other tissues throughout the body. People affected by GSS generally have mutations in the PRNP gene that result in the production of an abnormally shaped prion protein. The abnormal protein builds up in the brain, forming clumps that damage or destroy neurons. This loss of brain cells leads to the signs and symptoms of GSS.
Source: GARD

Question: How to diagnose Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease ?
Answer: How is Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease diagnosed? The diagnosis of Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease (GSS) is based on a combination of the following: Characteristic signs and symptoms Nervous system findings including multiple amyloid plaques (clumps which form in the brain and cause the death of nerve cells and the progressive symptoms of the disease) A family history consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance Identification of a disease-causing mutation of the PRNP gene Genetic testing for at-risk relatives who do not yet have symptoms of GSS is possible if the disease-causing mutation in the family is known. This testing is not useful in predicting age of onset, severity, type of symptoms, or rate of progression. Testing for the disease-causing mutation in the absence of definite symptoms of the disease is called predictive testing.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the treatments for Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease ?
Answer: How might Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease be treated? The treatment of Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease (GSS) is based on the signs and symptoms present in each person. There is currently no cure for the condition and no known treatments to slow its progression. GeneReviews' Web site offers more specific information about the treatment and management of GSS and other genetic prion diseases. Please click on the link to access this resource.
Source: GARD