There are many forms of sleep disorders, but the most deadly is Fatal familial insomnia (FFI).
The condition affects an estimated 1 to 2 people each year. FFI is passed down from parent to child and is thought to occur in 50 to 70 families worldwide with the genetic mutation that causes it.
Men and women are equally likely to develop the condition.
FFI is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a mutation in a gene called PRNP, which in turn produces the prion protein.
These mutated versions of the normal protein and their abnormal form are toxic to the rest of the body’s cells, especially neurons in the brain.
Furthermore, one of the tissues primarily affected in FFI patients is the thalamus, a region of the brain that regulates sleep, body temperature, and appetite, among other bodily functions.
The first and most important symptom of FFI is insomnia, which worsens over time to the point where the patient is unable to sleep at all.
Along with this, patients usually experience memory loss, high blood pressure, visual hallucinations, and involuntary muscle twitches.
In addition, the patient may also sweat profusely and have difficulty maintaining balance while walking.
Patients eventually enter a coma-like state and usually die within nine to 30 months after the onset of symptoms.
