Clinical features: Frequent in the new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, psychiatric disorders are less common in the sporadic form. The disorders are non-specific: mood disorders, personality changes and psychotic symptoms.
Diagnosis: The diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is evoked on the emergence of the first neurological signs, notably ataxia and myoclonia. The diagnosis is supported by the search for P 14-3-3, EEG in the cerebrospinal liquid as well as electroencephalogram and magnetic imaging that permit distinction between the sporadic and the new variant forms.