A case of very rapid progressive ataxia in rehabilitation setting.

Aim: To describe the unusual course of a patient with cerebellar ataxia who underwent rehabilitation. Method: At admission, the patient underwent motor rehabilitation and assessment by Tinetti Assessment, Klockgether Score, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale, Trunk Control Test, Fugl-Meyer Scale, Barthel Index, and Mini Mental State Examination. Results: The patient showed very rapid and severe decline of motor and functional tests during the first month of hospitalization and complete dependence in <2 months, despite rehabilitation. He died 10 months after onset, with a neuro-pathological diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Conclusion: Our case report suggests that sporadic CJD must be hypothesized when ataxia worsens rapidly and severely despite rehabilitation.