BrainWaves #39 What doesn't scare you about prions makes you stronger

MedLink Neurology Podcast is delighted to feature selected episodes from BrainWaves, courtesy of James E Siegler MD, its originator and host. BrainWaves is an academic audio podcast whose mission is to educate medical providers through clinical cases and topical reviews in neurology, medicine, and the humanities, and episodes originally aired from 2016 to 2021. Originally released: July 18, 2017 Prions are perhaps some of the most terrifying infectious particles known to man. But did you know that patients with some prion diseases actually shed these contagious proteins in their urine? These and other facts about prion diseases are discussed in this week's episode of BrainWaves. BrainWaves podcasts and online content are intended for medical education only and should not be used to guide medical decision-making in routine clinical practice. REFERENCES Zabel MD, Reid C. A brief history of prions. Pathog Dis 2015;73(9):ftv087. PMID 26449713Rutala WA, Weber DJ. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: recommendations for disinfection and sterilization. Clin Infect Dis 2001;32(9):1348-56. PMID 11303271Glatzel M, Abela E, Maissen M, Aguzzi A. Extraneural pathologic prion protein in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. N Engl J Med 2003;349(19):1812-20. PMID 14602879Moda F, Gambetti P, Notari S, et al. Prions in the urine of patients with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. N Engl J Med 2014;371(6):530-9. PMID 25099577Wieser HG, Schindler K, Zumsteg D. EEG in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Clin Neurophysiol 2006;117(5):935-51. PMID 16442343Lapergue B, Demeret S, Denys V, et al. Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease mimicking nonconvulsive status epilepticus. Neurology 2010;74(24):1995-9. PMID 20445151Siegler JE, Jacobs DA, Amado D, Adams JL, Berger JR. Rapidly progressive dementia with hypoglycorrhachia. J Clin Neurosci 2015;22(10):1685-7. PMID 26094562Geschwind MD. Prion diseases. Continuum (Minneap Minn) 2015;21:1612-38. PMID 26633779  We believe that the principles expressed or implied in the podcast remain valid, but certain details may be superseded by evolving knowledge since the episode’s original release date.