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New variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: psychiatric features
M Zeidler1, E C Johnstone, R W Bamber
1National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK.
Lancet (London, England)
|October 7, 1997
Summary
New variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (nvCJD) consistently presents with early psychiatric symptoms, often mimicking depression. Distinguishing nvCJD requires monitoring for neurological signs alongside psychiatric features.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- New variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (nvCJD) emerged in 1996.
- nvCJD cases predominantly present with psychiatric symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the psychiatric features of early nvCJD cases.
- To assess the diagnostic utility of psychiatric symptoms in nvCJD.
Main Methods:
- Review of case notes and relatives' interviews for 14 nvCJD cases.
- Psychiatric assessment of 13 cases.
Main Results:
- All 14 cases exhibited early psychiatric features; nine's first symptom was psychiatric.
- Most psychiatric diagnoses were depression or depression secondary to organic disease.
- Psychotic symptoms and hallucinations occurred in some cases, with neurological signs developing later.
Conclusions:
- Psychiatric symptoms are a consistent early indicator of nvCJD.
- Distinguishing nvCJD from common psychiatric disorders is challenging based on psychiatric symptoms alone.
- The development of neurological deficits is crucial for diagnosing nvCJD.
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