Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is marked by changes in mental abilities. Symptoms get worse quickly, usually within several weeks to a few months. Early symptoms include: 
Personality changes.
Memory loss.
Impaired thinking.
Blurry vision or blindness.
Insomnia.
Problems with coordination.
Trouble speaking.
Trouble swallowing.
Sudden, jerky movements.
 Death usually occurs within a year. People with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease usually die of medical issues associated with the disease. They might include having trouble swallowing, falls, heart issues, lung failure, or pneumonia or other infections. In people with variant CJD, changes in mental abilities may be more apparent in the beginning of the disease. In many cases, dementia develops later in the illness. Symptoms of dementia include the loss of the ability to think, reason and remember. CJD Variant CJD affects people at a younger age than CJD. Variant CJD appears to last 12 to 14 months. CJD CJD CJD Another rare form of prion disease is called variably protease-sensitive prionopathy (VPSPr). It can mimic other forms of dementia. It causes changes in mental abilities and problems with speech and thinking. The course of the disease is longer than other prion diseases — about 24 months.