The following symptoms and complaints may indicate Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and new variant CJD:
Leading symptoms
- Aggressiveness
- Akinetic mutism – inhibition of all motor functions including speech.
- Ataxia – disturbance in the sequence of movement
- Chorea – involuntary rapid sweeping movements.
- Dementia (rapid and progressive).
- Depression
- Fasciculations (irregular and involuntary contractions of muscle fiber bundles).
- Memory disorders
- Hallucinations
- Insomnia (sleeplessness)
- Coordination disorders
- Paralysis
- Myoclonus – involuntary muscle twitching.
- Psychosis
- Pyramid trajectory sign
- Rigor (muscle rigidity or muscle stiffness).
- Painful dysesthesias (sensory disturbances).
- Visual disturbances
- Speech disorders
- Tremor (shaking)
- Forgetfulness
- Changes in character
Other clues
- A striking wing beat tremor was first observed in a 67-year-old patient who was later diagnosed with Creutzfeld-Jakob disease. Wing-beating tremor is referred to as such because the tremor is reminiscent of the flapping of a bird’s wings when the hands and arms are flexed with increasing amplitude (English “wing-beating tremor”).