# Role of Stress as a Precipitating Factor of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: A Case Series

## TL;DR

This paper presents two cases suggesting that psychological stress may play a role in triggering Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare and often misdiagnosed neurological disorder.

## Contribution

The study highlights a potential link between psychological stress and the onset of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease through clinical case observations.

## Key findings

- Two clinical cases suggest a possible role of psychological stress in the onset of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
- The disease is frequently misdiagnosed and has a challenging differential diagnosis.
- No effective interventions currently exist for preventing or reducing the impact of the disease.

## Abstract

Easily mistaken for multiple neurological and psychiatric pathologies, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is still underdiagnosed, with a difficult, late, and often retrospective recognition. Furthermore, its pathophysiology is poorly understood, and to date, no intervention has proven effective in its prevention or associated morbidity and mortality. The authors present a series of two clinical cases that not only expose its natural history and challenging differential diagnosis but also warn of a potential impact of psychological and stressful factors in its predisposition and/or precipitation.