The characteristic symptom is progressive insomnia, often beginning during middle age but can occur earlier or later in life. Personality changes and involuntary movements, among other symptoms that can eventually become fatal. This disease is prominently responsible for memory loss problems. Hew predicted he would inevitably die since his sisters had recently passed away due to the same condition that he was suffering from, which eventually robbed him of his ability to fall asleep.Īdditional studies after Silvano’s particular case revealed similarities with another disorder, the Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease. In the 1980s the first reports of this disease surfaced after an Italian man named Silvano presented his case to a group of neurologists with the news of a soon to be a departure from this world. However, some people can surpass the 2 year period. The connotation “fatal” from the name of this condition means that it actually causes the death of the person within a year or two of showing the first symptoms. Researchers suggest that this variant doesn’t seem to be genetically linked or inherited. This condition is part of a group of conditions known as prion diseases and these are also rare conditions that cause brain cell death.īesides fatal familial insomnia, there is an even rarer type called sporadic fatal insomnia and there are only a few documented cases. This condition affects the thalamus, which is the brain structure that has been associated with being responsible for very important functions such as sleep and emotional expression.
It is usually detected through a combination of sleeping pattern studies and PET scans.įatal familial insomnia is very rare and it has a genetic component (inherited). Fatal Familial Insomnia: How fatal is it?įatal Familial Insomnia or FFI is a diagnosis that involves cognitive impairment (dementia) that progresses quickly, mood changes, difficulties when going to sleep, difficulties with balance, coordination, and speech. In this guide, we will discuss what fatal familial insomnia means, symptoms, causes and treatment options.