What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?何為阿爾茨海默病？

鄧夢寒/譯

Alzheimers disease is one of the most common type of dementia. It is a progressive disease beginning with mild memory loss and possibly leading to loss of the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to the environment.

阿爾茨海默病是最常見的癡呆癥之一。它是一種漸進性疾病，從輕度喪失記憶開始，可能導致喪失會話能力和對周圍環境做出反應的能力。

Symptoms of the disease can first appear after age 60， and the risk increases with age. Early-onset Alzheimers occurs between a persons 30s and mid-60s and is very rare.

該病癥狀可能六十歲后首現，患病風險隨著年齡增長而增加。早發性阿爾茨海默病發病于三十多歲至六十五六歲之間，十分罕見。

The disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906， Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. Her symptoms included memory loss， language problems， and unpredictable behavior. After she died， he examined her brain and found many abnormal clumps （now called amyloid plaques） and tangled bundles of fibers （now called neurofibrillary， or tau， tangles）.

該病以阿洛伊斯·阿爾茨海默醫生的名字命名。1906年，阿爾茨海默醫生注意到一名死于罕見精神疾病的女性的腦組織曾發生病變。該女子生前癥狀包括記憶喪失、語言障礙和行為難測。患者去世后，他檢查了她的大腦，發現了許多異常的結塊（現在稱為淀粉樣斑塊）和纖維束纏結（現在稱為神經原纖維纏結或tau蛋白纏結）。

These plaques and tangles in the brain are still considered some of the main features of Alzheimers disease. Another feature is the loss of connections between nerve cells （neurons） in the brain. Neurons transmit messages between different parts of the brain， and from the brain to muscles and organs in the body.

大腦中的這些斑塊和纏結現在仍然被認為是阿爾茨海默病的一些主要特征。另一個特征是大腦中神經細胞（神經元）之間的連接喪失。神經元在大腦的不同部分間傳遞信息，并將信息從大腦傳遞到身體的肌肉和器官。

Scientists do not yet fully understand what causes Alzheimers disease. There likely is not a single cause but rather several factors that can affect each person differently.

科學家們尚未完全了解阿爾茨海默病的病因。致病原因可能不止一種，而是多個因素共同作用，對不同個體產生不同影響。

What are the warning signs of Alzheimers disease？

阿爾茨海默病的前兆癥狀有哪些？

Alzheimers disease is not a normal part of aging. Memory problems are typically one of the first warning signs of Alzheimers disease and related dementias.

阿爾茨海默病并非衰老過程中的正常現象。記憶問題是阿爾茨海默病及相關癡呆癥的典型前兆癥狀之一。

In addition to memory problems， someone with symptoms of Alzheimers disease may experience one or more of the following：

除了記憶問題，具有阿爾茨海默病癥狀的人還可能出現以下一種或多種情況：

Memory loss that disrupts daily life， such as getting lost in a familiar place or repeating questions.

喪失記憶從而影響日常生活，例如在熟悉的地方迷路或重復提問；

Trouble handling money and paying bills.

難以處理金錢和支付賬單；

Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home， at work or at leisure.

在家里、工作中或休閑時難以完成熟悉的任務；

Decreased or poor judgment.

判斷力下降或變弱；

Misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps to find them.

把東西放錯地方，無法回溯物品放置過程以致無法找到；

Changes in mood， personality， or behavior.

情緒、性格或行為發生變化。

What to do if you suspect Alzheimers disease？

如果懷疑自己患有阿爾茨海默病怎么辦？

Getting checked by your healthcare provider can help determine if the symptoms you are experiencing are related to Alzheimers disease， or a more treatable condition such as a vitamin deficiency or a side effect from medication. Early and accurate diagnosis also provides opportunities for you and your family to consider financial planning， develop advance directives1， enroll in clinical trials， and anticipate care needs.

讓為您提供醫療保健服務的機構或醫師檢查，可以幫助診斷所出現的癥狀是與阿爾茨海默病有關，還是與更可控制的疾病（例如維生素缺乏或藥物副作用）相關。早期和準確的診斷還可以為您和家人在規劃財務、制定預先指示、參加臨床試驗和預測護理需求時爭得先機。

How is Alzheimers disease treated？

如何治療阿爾茨海默病？

Medical management can improve the quality of life for individuals living with Alzheimers disease and for their caregivers. There is currently no known cure for Alzheimers disease.

醫療管理可以改善阿爾茨海默病患者及其護理人員的生活質量。目前阿爾茨海默病還沒有已知的治愈方法。

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration （FDA） has approved several drugs to treat people with Alzheimers disease， and certain medicines and interventions may help control behavioral symptoms. Treatment addresses several areas：

美國食品藥品監督管理局已經批準了幾種藥物來治療阿爾茨海默病患者，其中一些藥物和干預措施可能有助于控制行為癥狀。治療涉及幾個方面：

Helping people maintain brain health.

幫助保持大腦健康；

Managing behavioral symptoms.

管理行為癥狀；

Slowing or delaying symptoms of the disease.

減緩或延遲癥狀的發展。

How long can a person live with Alzheimers disease？

阿爾茨海默病患者能活多久？

Alzheimers disease is currently ranked as the seventh leading cause of death in the United States， but the time from diagnosis to death varies. It may be as little as three or four years if the person is older than 80 when diagnosed， to as long as 10 or more years if the person is younger.

目前，阿爾茨海默病在美國被列為第七大死因，但從確診到死亡的時間因人而異。如果患者確診時年齡超過80歲，存活年限也許只有3或4年；如果患者較年輕，則可能再活10年之久或更長時間。

Support for family and friends

對家人和朋友的支持

Currently， many people living with Alzheimers disease are cared for at home by family members. Caregiving can have positive aspects for the caregiver as well as the person being cared for. It may bring personal fulfillment to the caregiver， such as satisfaction from helping a family member or friend， and lead to the development of new skills and improved family relationships.

目前，許多阿爾茨海默病患者在家中由家人照顧。照護工作對看護者和被看護者都有積極的影響。它可以帶給看護者個人成就感，例如幫助家人或朋友帶來的滿足感，還可以學習新技能及改善家庭關系。

Although most people willingly provide care to their loved ones and friends， caring for a person with Alzheimers disease at home can be a difficult task and may become overwhelming at times. Each day brings new challenges as the caregiver copes with changing levels of ability and new patterns of behavior. As the disease gets worse， people living with Alzheimers disease often need more intensive care.

盡管大多數人愿意照料自己的親人和朋友，但在家照顧阿爾茨海默病患者可能是一項艱巨的任務，有時可能會變得令人不堪重負。每天都有新的挑戰，因為看護者需要應對患者不斷變化的能力水平和新的行為模式。隨著病情惡化，阿爾茨海默病患者常常需要更多的特別護理。

（譯者單位：上海交通大學）