PBS高端访谈:阿尔茨海默症的发现及预防

 　　JUDY WOODRUFF: Alzheimer's disease remains¹ among the most devastating² diseases that medicine has yet to crack. There's no known cure or treatment that has substantially helped curb³ memory loss and the decline in cognitive⁴ skills. One in eight Americans over the age of 65 has Alzheimer's now.

　　Researchers are hoping they can find a more promising⁵ future by intervening well before any symptoms show.

　　Jeffrey Brown has the story.

　　JAMIE TYRONE: This photograph is a picture of my father and myself at a father/daughter dance at school.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: At age 48, Jamie Tyrone decided⁶ on a whim⁷ to sign up for a study that offered genetic⁹ testing for 22 diseases.

　　JAMIE TYRONE: This is at my wedding day.

　　10 ways to eat and drink your way to a better brain

　　JEFFREY BROWN: The results were shocking and life-changing.

　　JAMIE TYRONE: My genetic status is that I have a 91 percent lifetime risk of getting Alzheimer's disease.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Alzheimer's, a debilitating¹⁰ form of dementia, wasn't even on Tyrone's radar¹¹ screen. She'd had no symptoms. And hearing the news sent her into an emotional tailspin.

　　JAMIE TYRONE: I was very, very lonely and very, very isolated¹². And at one point, I was told that it's probably best not to talk about it because you might be discriminated¹³ against. And so I went into a really dark hole.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: All this began five years ago, ironically, just as her father began showing signs of mental confusion.

　　JAMIE TYRONE: Want to look up at me, dad? I'm taking a picture of you.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Tyrone watched as his health quickly declined. He was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

　　JAMIE TYRONE: When my father was still alive, and I looked at him, all I saw was my destiny. And I was frightened for me, but I was more afraid for my family, because I didn't want -- I didn't want them to go through what we were going through with my father.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: And her story is now part of a new approach to experimental Alzheimer's research, treating people for the disease before they show a single symptom.

　　WOMAN: I'm going to ask you a bunch of questions that just look at various aspects of memory and thinking. And I want you to just take your time and relax.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Tyrone volunteered for a biomarker study at Banner Alzheimer's Institute in Arizona. Here, she is given cognitive tests, medical screening, and brain imaging.

　　JAMIE TYRONE: I panic every time I go through it, because I'm like, oh, my goodness, if I forget something, do I have Alzheimer's?

　　WOMAN: Immediately, you were able to recall that.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: So far, her tests have been encouraging.

　　WOMAN: So, you got 27 out of 30, which is considered normal.

　　JAMIE TYRONE: Yay!

　　JEFFREY BROWN: The biomarker study Tyrone entered is part of an ambitious goal set by Banner to prevent and even eradicate¹⁴ the disease.

　　DR. PIERRE TARIOT, Director, Banner Alzheimer's Institute: It's incurable¹⁵, it's debilitating, it's relentless¹⁶, and it's unacceptable.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Dr. Pierre Tariot is on a team of doctors that launched the Alzheimer's prevention initiative.

　　We think the best way to find an end to Alzheimer's disease, without losing another generation, is moving earlier. The most important studies to do are in people that don't have any manifest symptoms yet.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: One new study will involve people with no symptoms, but at high risk, because they carry two copies of a gene⁸ called APOE-e4.

　　DR. PIERRE TARIOT: There's credible¹⁷ evidence that lifestyle variables matter.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: And while Jamie Tyrone fits that genetic profile, she is too young to participate. The trial will track people 60 to 75 years old.

　　DR. PIERRE TARIOT: If we learn that making this red goes away or preventing it from even occurring...

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Last summer, the study received a big boost, $33.2 million from the National Institutes of Health.

　　DR. PIERRE TARIOT: We and others really think that the way to put this disease behind us is to find therapies that attack the underlying¹⁸ biology, and apply them in the right way at the right time. And if we can do that, we may be able to help preserve identity and preserve autonomy, which are the goals.

　　The areas that are blue are essentially¹⁹ little amyloid protein deposits.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: One long-held hypothesis is that a buildup of amyloid protein in the brain is the main culprit in the onset²⁰ of Alzheimer's. These new trials will test drugs aimed at halting that progression.

　　DR. PIERRE TARIOT: We will be comparing change in people who get active treatment vs. a placebo²¹ or sham²² treatment, and our hypothesis is the active experimental treatment will slow down or possibly even prevent the otherwise almost certain loss of memory and other thinking ability.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: To this point, drug trials to treat people who already have the disease have proven disappointing, thus the change in thinking.

　　DR. PIERRE TARIOT: There has been a significant paradigm²³ shift in just the last couple of years. Maybe using these promising experimental agents at a time when the disease has already ravaged²⁴ the brain is too late, so maybe what we ought to do is intervene at the very beginning, before the damaged has occurred, and before symptoms have emerged. And so that's a big change. That's a real pivot²⁵ in the field.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: It also raises new ethical²⁶ considerations to administer Alzheimer's treatment to people with no current symptoms.

　　DR. PIERRE TARIOT: In every case, it boils down to the ability for everybody to appreciate the potential risks and the potential benefits, benefits for oneself, benefits for one's family or future generations.

　　WOMAN: You're going to draw trees in the background. Yours is looking great.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: For people who already have Alzheimer's, the institute creates environments, like this art class, where patients can feel productive and successful.

　　JAN DOUGHERTY, Family and Community Services, Banner Alzheimer's Institute: I think it works for people with Alzheimer's because every day they face failure, because their memory, their brain can't keep pace. But as I tell people with this disease, look, not all of your brain is not working. There are parts that work beautifully, and I think art is one of those areas that work beautifully

　　JEFFREY BROWN: According to the Alzheimer's Association, 5.2 million Americans are affected²⁷ by the disease. A new diagnosis²⁸ is made every 68 seconds, and the number of cases is expected to triple by 2050.

　　DR. PIERRE TARIOT: The World Health Organization has labeled Alzheimer's disease as the coming pandemic of Western societies in this century, predicting that as we age successfully, the numbers will become so extraordinary that unless we find a way to put it behind us, it could overwhelm our societies.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Feeling overwhelmed by her husband's diagnosis is something Judy Starbuck is familiar with.

　　JUDY STARBUCK: I have periods of great grief, great grief, of loss. You know, they say start planning to make a life for yourself. And I don't want to.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Starbuck volunteered for the prevention trials, but was found to carry no risk and therefore didn't qualify. In fact, researchers acknowledge it may be tricky²⁹ to find volunteers. So the Banner Institute has created an online Alzheimer's prevention registry.

　　JESSICA LANGBAUM, Principal Scientist, Banner Alzheimer's Institute: One of the biggest challenges is just finding enough people to participate. Typically, research studies often take place in people who already have the disease, and here we're trying to do prevention-focused studies.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Jamie Tyrone says she can't help being optimistic.

　　JAMIE TYRONE: Oh, my goodness. What it means is that there's hope, there's actual hope. There is a possibility that there may be a prevention in my lifetime, and my family won't have to go through what we have in the past. So, that's very, very promising and very, very exciting.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: The prevention trials are expected to begin in 2015.

　　GWEN IFILL: You can learn more about Alzheimer's prevention, including how to eat your way to a healthier brain. That's on our Health page.

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

3 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

4 cognitive   

adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的

参考例句：

• As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
• The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。

5 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 whim   

n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想

参考例句：

• I bought the encyclopedia on a whim.我凭一时的兴致买了这本百科全书。
• He had a sudden whim to go sailing today.今天他突然想要去航海。

8 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

9 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

10 debilitating   

a.使衰弱的

参考例句：

• The debilitating disease made him too weak to work. 这个令他衰弱的病，使他弱到没有办法工作。
• You may soon leave one debilitating condition or relationship forever. 你即将永远地和这段霉运说拜拜了。

11 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

12 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

13 discriminated   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的过去式和过去分词 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• His great size discriminated him from his followers. 他的宽广身材使他不同于他的部下。
• Should be a person that has second liver virus discriminated against? 一个患有乙肝病毒的人是不是就应该被人歧视？

14 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

15 incurable   

adj.不能医治的，不能矫正的，无救的；n.不治的病人，无救的人

参考例句：

• All three babies were born with an incurable heart condition.三个婴儿都有不可治瘉的先天性心脏病。
• He has an incurable and widespread nepotism.他们有不可救药的，到处蔓延的裙带主义。

16 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

17 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

18 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

19 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

20 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

21 placebo   

n.安慰剂；宽慰话

参考例句：

• The placebo has been found to work with a lot of different cases.人们已发现安慰剂能在很多不同的病例中发挥作用。
• The placebo effect refers to all the observable behaviors caused by placebo.安慰剂效应是指由安慰剂所引起的可观察的行为。

22 sham   

n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的)

参考例句：

• They cunningly played the game of sham peace.他们狡滑地玩弄假和平的把戏。
• His love was a mere sham.他的爱情是虚假的。

23 paradigm   

n.例子，模范，词形变化表

参考例句：

• He had become the paradigm of the successful man. 他已经成为成功人士的典范。
• Moreover,the results of this research can be the new learning paradigm for digital design studios.除此之外，本研究的研究成果也可以为数位设计课程建立一个新的学习范例。

24 ravaged   

毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家
• The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。

25 pivot   

v.在枢轴上转动；装枢轴，枢轴；adj.枢轴的

参考例句：

• She is the central pivot of creation and represents the feminine aspect in all things.她是创造的中心枢轴，表现出万物的女性面貌。
• If a spring is present,the hand wheel will pivot on the spring.如果有弹簧，手轮的枢轴会装在弹簧上。

26 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

27 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

28 diagnosis   

n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断

参考例句：

• His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

29 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。