A patient exhibits rapid cognitive decline and brain vacuolation. The infectious agent lacks nucleic acids. What is the most likely cause?
Q1. A patient exhibits rapid cognitive decline and brain vacuolation. The infectious agent lacks nucleic acids. What is the most likely cause?
Answer: Prions
Explanation: Prions are purely proteinaceous and cause neurodegenerative diseases; viroids fail because they consist only of naked circular RNA molecules.