Please see the discussion on Requests for cleanup for more information and remove this template after the problem has been dealt with. 1  Afep pigeon (Columba unicincta) 2  African owl pigeon (Columba livia domestica) 3  African green pigeon (Treron calvus) 4  African olive pigeon (Columba arquatrix) 5  American pigeon (Patagioenas)
Fatal familial insomnia and sporadic fatal insomnia differ from other prion diseases because they affect predominantly one area of the brain, the thalamus, which influences sleep. The familial and sporadic forms typically begin between the ages of 30 and 50 years.
The patient died at 58 (seven months after the onset of symptoms). An autopsy was completed post-mortem which revealed mild atrophy of the frontal cortex and moderate atrophy of the thalamus. The atrophy of the thalamus is one of the most common signs of fatal familial insomnia.