The list of medical symptoms mentioned in various sources for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease may include:
List of 37 Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Symptoms
Note that Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease symptoms usually refers to various medical symptoms known to a patient, but the phrase Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease signs may often refer to those signs that are only noticable by a doctor.
CJD is characterized as a rapidly progressive dementia. Initially, patients experience problems with muscular coordination; personality changes, including impaired memory, judgment, and thinking; and impaired vision. People with the disease also may experience insomnia, depression, or unusual sensations. CJD does not cause a fever or other flu-like symptoms. As the illness progresses, the patients' mental impairment becomes severe. They often develop involuntary muscle jerks called myoclonus, and they may go blind. They eventually lose the ability to move and speak and enter a coma. Pneumonia and other infections often occur in these patients and can lead to death.
There are several known variants of CJD. These variants differ somewhat in the symptoms and course of the disease. For example, a variant form of the disease — called new variant or variant (nv-CJD, v-CJD), described in Great Britain and France — begins primarily with psychiatric symptoms, affects younger patients than other types of CJD, and has a longer than usual duration from onset of symptoms to death. Another variant, called the panencephalopathic form, occurs primarily in Japan and has a relatively long course, with symptoms often progressing for several years. Scientists are trying to learn what causes these variations in symptoms and course of the disease. Some symptoms of CJD can be similar to symptoms of other progressive neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's or Huntington's disease. However, CJD causes unique changes in brain tissue which can be seen at autopsy. It also tends to cause more rapid deterioration of a person's abilities than Alzheimer's disease or most other types of dementia. (Source: excerpt from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Fact Sheet: NINDS)
Clinical features of CJD include a neurological presentation, with dementia, and a progressive cerebellar syndrome including ataxia, gait, and speech abnormalities. In most patients, these symptoms are followed by involuntary movements and the appearance of a typical diagnostic electroencephalogram tracing. (Source: excerpt from Facts About Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: CDC-OC)
CJD does not cause the same symptoms in everyone. Often, the first signs of CJD in hGH recipients were unsteadiness in walking, dizziness, clumsiness, and problems with balance. Later, they began to slur their words, lost muscle control, or had problems with vision, memory, or thinking clearly. Once symptoms began, the disease advanced quickly. In 2 to 3 months, patients could not walk or do other simple tasks.
Headaches are not a symptom of CJD. Mild symptoms that come and go over a long period, such as being clumsy, irritable, or forgetful, are not signs of CJD. (Source: excerpt from Update Follow-Up Study of NHPP Growth Hormone Recipients: NIDDK)
More detailed symptom information may be found on the symptoms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease article. In addition to the above medical information, to get a full picture of the possible signs or symptoms of this condition and also possibly the signs and symptoms of its related medical conditions, it may be necessary to examine symptoms that may be caused by:
These general reference articles may be related to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
The phrase "signs of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease" should, strictly speaking, refer only to those signs and symptoms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease that are not readily apparent to the patient. The word "symptoms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease" is the more general meaning; see symptoms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.
The signs and symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. This medical information about signs and symptoms for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease signs or Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease symptoms.
What do you think about the features of this website? Take our user survey and have your say:
Next articles:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Search Specialists by State and City
By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use. Information provided on this site is for informational purposes only; it is not intended as a substitute for advice from your own medical team. The information on this site is not to be used for diagnosing or treating any health concerns you may have - please contact your physician or health care professional for all your medical needs. Please see our Terms of Use.
Copyright © 2009 Health Grades Inc. All rights reserved.
Whenever you go to a hospital or clinic for a major procedure or diagnostic test, one of the many forms you are given to sign is an "informed...
Germs are a fact of life and catching an infectious disease like a cold may seem inevitable. But there are simple ways to protect yourself against...
Stress takes its toll by making us anxious, depressed and not able to function as fully as we'd like. What many don't know is that stress can...
Sleep is necessary to feel refreshed, but now we know sleep actually impacts the way the body functions. Sleeping poorly can affect how often you get...