More about Alzheimer's Disease
Scientists have developed skin tests that may be used in the future to identify people with Alzheimer's disease1 and may ultimately allow physicians to predict who is at risk of getting this neurological disorder.
' The only current means of diagnosing the disease in a living patient is a long and expensive series of tests that eliminate every other cause of dementia.
“ Since Alois Alzheimer described the disease nearly a century ago，people have been trying to find a way to accurately diagnose it in its early stages2，” said Patricia Grady，acting director3 of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, Maryland. "This discovery, if confirmed, could prove a big step forward in our efforts to deal with and understand the disease. ”
Alzheimer's is the single greatest cause of mental deterioration in older people, affecting between 2. 5 million and 4 million people in the United States alone. The devastating disorder gradually destroys memory and the ability to function，and eventually causes death.6 There is currently no known treatment for the disease.
Researches discovered that the skin cells of Alzheimer' s patients have defects that interfere with their ability to regulate the flow of potassium in and out of the cells. The fact that the cell defects are present in the skin suggests that7 Alzheimer's results from physiological changes throughout the body，and that dementia may be the first noticeable effect of these changes as the defects affect the cells in the brain, scientists said.
The flow of potassium is especially critical in cells responsible for memory formation8. The scientists also found two other defects that affect the cells' supply of calcium, another critical element.
One test developed by researches calls for9 growing skin cells in a laboratory culture and then testing them with an electrical detector to determine if the microscopic tunnels that govern the flow of potassium are open. Open potassium channels create a unique electrical signature.
A spokesman for the Alzheimer's Association said that if the validity of the diagnostic test can be proven it would be an important development, but cautioned that other promising tests for Alzheimer's have been disappointing.10
詞彙：
neurological /inju9r9'lDd3ik9l/ adj.神經病 學的
dementia /di丨menjis/ n.痴呆 deterioration /d^tiom'reijan/ n.惡化，退化 devastating /'devosteitiB/ adj.破壞‘性極大
的，毀滅性的 defect /'diifekt，di'fekt / n.缺損，毛病 physiological / 丨fizio 丨lt)d3ikal/ adj.生理的; 生理學的 potassium /ps'taesiom/ n.鍾
formation /fo: 'meijsn/ n.形成，組成
calcium /'kaelsism/ n.考丐
microscopic / 丨maikrs丨skDpik / adj.極小的，
微小的 一
signature /'signitj9(r) / n. i只另!J標誌;署名，
簽名，簽字 validity /vs'lidsti/ n.效力，有效(性)
註釋：
1. to identify people with Alzheimer's disease ; 老性痴呆
識別患早老性痴呆的人;Alzheimer's disease:早
2. in its early stages：在它的早期階段
3. acting director：執行主任
4. the singly greatest cause：唯一的重要原因
5. in the United States alone：僅在美國
6. The devastating disorder gradually destroys memory and the ability to function, and eventually causes death.這種毀滅性的疾病逐漸破壞記憶和行動的能力，最終導致死亡。
7. The fact that... suggests that...：事實表明 ，
8. cells responsible for memory formation ：對記憶的形成至關重要的細胞
9. call for：要求
10. ... but cautioned that other promising tests for Alzheimer's have been disappointing. 但提
醒人們其他有關早老性痴呆症的試驗曾經也頗有吸引力，結果卻令人失望。
詞彙：
impairment /jim'peQmsnt/ n.損傷 community /ko'mjuiniti/ n.社群，社會 magnifier/’maegnifai3(r) / ti.方夂大鏡 cane /kein/ n.手杖，藤 Braille /breil/ n.盲文
譯文：
早老性痴呆研究的新進展
科學家們發現，採用面板化驗的方法可以判斷病人是否患有早老性痴呆症，並且最終有助於醫 生預測哪些人有患上這種神經功能紊亂性疾病的危險。
要診斷一個病人是否患有這類疾病，目前唯一的方法是進行一系列長期而昂貴的測試，以排除 導致痴呆的其他病因。
“自從艾洛伊斯?阿爾茨海默記載了這一病症以後，近一百年來人們一直在努力尋找能夠在早 期階段就精確地診斷出這種疾病的方法，”馬里蘭州貝色斯達神經紊亂與中風國家研究院執行主任 Patricia Grady如是說。“這個發現如果得到證實，將會意味著我們在治療和了解這種病症方面前進 了一大步。”
早老性痴呆是導致老年人大腦功能退化的唯一的重要原因。僅在美國，就有約250萬到400萬 人患有這種疾病。這種毀滅性的疾病會逐漸破壞記憶和行動的能力，並最終導致死亡。目前仍然沒 有辦法治癒這種病症。
研究者發現早老性痴呆症患者的面板細胞有缺損。這種缺損會影響人體對出入於細胞的鉀的 流量的調控。科學家認為面板細胞有缺損這個事實表明，早老性痴呆是由人體全身的生理變化引起 的，並且大腦細胞受損帶來的變化所產生的最為明顯的後果就是痴呆。
鉀的'流量對於與記憶密切相關的'細胞至關重要。科學家還發現還有兩種細胞的缺損會影響細 胞中鈣的含量。鈣也是一種關鍵的元素。
研究者進行的面板測試中有一種要求在實驗室環境中培養面板細胞，然後使用檢電器進行測 試，檢查輸送鉀的極微小管道是否暢通。如果暢通無阻，這些管道會放出一種特殊的電子訊號。
早老性痴呆研究協會的一名發言人說，這種診斷性測試如果得到證實，將是一個重要的進步，但 同時提醒人們其他有關早老性痴呆症的試驗曾經也頗有吸引力，然而結果卻令人失望。
