(often CJD) a progressive disease of middle age, characterized by dementia, muscular wasting, spasticity, and involuntary movements, believed to be caused by a prion (infectious protein particle)
new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
(often new variant CJD) a form of the disease characterized by early onset, thought to be the human variety of BSE
[named after H G Creutzfeldt d.1964 and A M Jakob d.1931, German neurologists]