This is often reported as having "come out of the blue." Early symptoms may look like depression but quickly progress (within a few weeks) to the confusion and memory problems commonly seen in dementia. Neurological difficulties, such as loss of coordination and balance (called "progressive cerebellar ataxia") together with progressive blindness usually follow, but are occasionally the first signs of CJD. First symptoms usually show up in a person's 60s.
As the disease progresses, people with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease become increasingly confused and unable to walk, communicate, be aware of their surroundings or care for themselves. Brief jerking movements of the muscles (called myoclonus) and difficulty swallowing occur in most cases. People usually lose the ability to speak or move, which makes them susceptible to potentially fatal pneumonia. The illness is usually distressingly rapid. Three-quarters of people with sporadic CJD die within six months of diagnosis, while others die within just a few weeks. Rarely, the illness may last for a year or more.
