Buckwheat,
I'm skimming what you have here, but is there any link between an increase in the incidence of RSD within populations most likely exposed to infectious prions (say, butchers or populations ingesting prion contaminated food)? Are there any autopsy findings indicating prion disease in those who have RSD as there are with CJD? Typically, these things are found and prion-related disease yields significant cognitive slowing over time which I haven't seen in the research with RSD, though I'm by no means any type of expert.
Lori Lee