CNN News: 500萬美國人患有老年癡呆癥

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer`s. It`s a disease that`s associated with memory loss and decrease brain function.

超過500萬美國人患有阿爾茨海默癥。這種疾病可以導致記憶喪失，大腦功能減退。

In a new survey by the Alzheimer`s Association, look into the disease`s effects on people who care for Alzheimer`s patients, their families, their loved ones. It found they feel a significant financial impact, an average of more than $5,000 per year that caregiver spend of their own money. It also found that some of them are more likely to go hungry or cut back on their own medical treatment to make ends meet and affording care for the Alzheimer`s patients.

阿爾茨海默癥協(xié)會進行的一項新的研究，調(diào)查了這種疾病對照顧病患者、病患的家人、親人的影響。結(jié)果表明，這種疾病會給他們帶來巨大的經(jīng)濟影響，照料者平均每年要多花費5000美元。結(jié)果還表明，很多人寧愿挨餓或者減少自己的醫(yī)療開支來維持收支平衡，照顧老年癡呆癥患者。

So, what could be done about this? The association suggests the national effort to help families better understand the expenses they could face, plan for the future and know what services are available in their communities to help with Alzheimer`s care.

那么，對此應該做些什么呢?阿爾海默茨協(xié)會建議國家?guī)椭覍俳鉀Q開支問題，計劃未來、并了解社區(qū)內(nèi)有哪些可行的服務可以幫助照料老年癡呆癥患者。

It only weighs three pounds, has a texture like firmed jelly and tons of wrinkles.

僅僅有三磅重，它的紋理像固定的果凍，但是很多的褶皺。

Yet that pint-sized prune of a brain is the most amazing powerful organ in your entire body when it`s working right. But when it`s not, as in Alzheimer`s disease, the results can be devastating.

大腦中這個一品脫大小深紅色的部分，正常工作時，是我們?nèi)梭w中最強大的器官。但是，對于老年癡呆癥病患來說，結(jié)果并不是這樣的，結(jié)果是毀滅性的。

Take a look here. The brain on left, that`s normal. The one on the right has advanced Alzheimer`s.

看看這里，左邊的大腦是正常的。但右邊的這個屬于晚期阿爾茨海默癥病患。

Here`s another view. See how the brain shrinks and fluid filled spaces expand. That`s Alzheimer`s crippling the ability to think and to plan.

這是另外一個視角。看看大腦是如何萎縮，以及充滿液體的空間是如何擴張的。這就是老年癡呆癥在摧毀人的思考和計劃能力。

And also look here at the hippocampus. It shrivels. The small sea horse structure allows us to form new memories but it`s also the first to disintegrate.

再看看海馬體，也在枯萎。海馬結(jié)構(gòu)讓我們形成新的記憶，但同時它會第一個遭到破壞。

So, how does this all happen? It starts inside the wrinkled part of the brain here called the cortex, where billions of brain cells interconnecting trillions of ways to create these neuron forests, tiny electric charges move signals like a baby`s cry to each neuron, to a junction called the synapse, where chemicals called neurotransmitters leap across the gap, carrying the cry to more and more neurons and the memory is born.

那么這一切，是如何發(fā)生的呢?老年癡呆癥開始于皮層部位，這里有數(shù)十億的腦細胞連接數(shù)以萬億計的方法來創(chuàng)建這些神經(jīng)元，例如嬰兒啼哭的電荷移動信號會發(fā)給突觸。在突觸處，神經(jīng)質(zhì)將哭聲傳遞給越來越多的神經(jīng)元，記憶就產(chǎn)生了。

But in Alzheimer`s, protein pieces called beta amyloid begin to clump together, while another protein called Tau starts to fall apart, creating plaques and tangles, that blocks signals and nutrients from getting through.

但是，對于老年癡呆癥患者，其大腦中β淀粉樣蛋白碎片開始凝聚，而tau蛋白開始分解，形成斑塊和神經(jīng)元纖維纏結(jié)，這就會阻斷信號和營養(yǎng)的運輸。

Cells begin to die. New memories cannot take hold. The ability to think and plan deteriorates. Personality and behavior is affected. And ultimately, the once mighty brain is no more.

細胞開始死亡。新的記憶就不會形成。同時思考和計劃的能力就開始退化，導致人格和行為也受到了影響。最終，強大的大腦將不復存在。