Fatal Familial Insomnia Overview

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Learn About Fatal Familial Insomnia

What is the definition of Fatal Familial Insomnia?
Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) affects the thalamus, the part of the brain that controls the sleep-wake cycle. The most common symptoms are sleep disturbance, psychiatric problems, weight loss, and balance problems. Other symptoms include high blood pressure, excess sweating, and difficulty controlling body temperature. These symptoms tend to get worse over time. Almost all cases of FFI occur due to a specific variant in the PRNP gene and are inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. Diagnosis is based on the symptoms, clinical exam, sleep study, and imaging studies. The results of genetic testing can help confirm the diagnosis.
What are the alternative names for Fatal Familial Insomnia?
  • Fatal familial insomnia
  • Familial fatal insomnia
  • Insomnia familial fatal
Who are the top Fatal Familial Insomnia Local Doctors?
Roberto Chiesa
Elite in Fatal Familial Insomnia
Roberto Chiesa
Elite in Fatal Familial Insomnia
Roberto Chiesa
Milan, IT 

Roberto Chiesa practices in Milan, Italy. Mr. Chiesa is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Fatal Familial Insomnia. His top areas of expertise are Fatal Familial Insomnia, Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Stent Placement, and Carotid Artery Surgery.

Elite in Fatal Familial Insomnia
Kexin Xie
Elite in Fatal Familial Insomnia
Kexin Xie
Changchun Street 45, 
Beijing, CN 

Kexin Xie practices in Beijing, China. Ms. Xie is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Fatal Familial Insomnia. Her top areas of expertise are Fatal Familial Insomnia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, and Syndactyly Type 1.

 
 
 
 
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Elite in Fatal Familial Insomnia
Joaquin Castilla
Elite in Fatal Familial Insomnia
Joaquin Castilla
Bilbao, PV, ES 

Joaquin Castilla practices in Bilbao, Spain. Mr. Castilla is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Fatal Familial Insomnia. His top areas of expertise are Fatal Familial Insomnia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker Syndrome, and Congenital Erythropoietic Porphyria.

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What are the latest Fatal Familial Insomnia Clinical Trials?
Biomarker Profiling in Individuals at Risk for Prion Disease
Biomarker Profiling in Individuals at Risk for Prion Disease
Enrollment Status: Recruiting
Publish Date: November 24, 2025

Summary: We are doing this research to identify biomarkers in individuals who are at-risk for familial prion disease. We hope to use these biomarkers to predict timing of disease onset in pre-symptomatic individuals and to guide the direction of future clinical trials.

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Who are the sources who wrote this article ?

Published Date: May 02, 2022
Published By: Genetic and Rare Diseases Informnation Center