Does the presentation of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease vary by age or presumed etiology? A meta-analysis of the past 10 years

It is not clear whether differences in symptom presentation vary by age or etiological subtype in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. A PubMed search was conducted using the keyword "Creutzfeldt-Jakob" and results within the last 10 years were sorted by the English language. We found that certain characteristics, such as affective illness (28.8%), present more commonly in younger patients irrespective of disease type. Young age of onset predicts presenting symptoms of affective illness, sleep disturbance, and poor concentration, as well as certain neurological symptoms, including cerebellar/gait disturbance, visual/oculomotor disturbance, sensory disorder, vertigo/dizziness, and headache.