Talk to your doctor immediately if you or someone close to you has symptoms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is caused by a group of rare, fatal brain disorders known as prion disease.
Prion is a protein that is naturally found in our bodies. With prion diseases, such as CJD, the prion protein mutates abnormally. CJD is an extremely rare disease, with only one reported case per one million individuals worldwide.
Symptoms
The damage from the prion protein mutations usually happens rapidly and includes:
- Confusion and disorientation
- Problems with memory, thinking, planning and judgment
- Depression
- Agitation, apathy, and mood swings
- Difficulty walking
- Muscle stiffness, twitches, and involuntary jerky movements