阿爾茨海默病檢測的重大突破

A blood test for detecting Alzheimer’s （阿爾茨海默病）disease could be just as accurate as painful and invasive（侵入性的）lumbar punctures（腰椎穿刺）and could revolutionise diagnosis of the condition， research suggests.

Measuring levels of a protein called p-tau217 in the blood could be just as good as lumbar punctures at detecting the signs of Alzheimer’s， and better than a range of other tests under development， experts say.

The protein is a marker for biological changes that happen in the brain with Alzheimer’s disease.

In a study of 786 people， researchers were able to use the ALZpath p-tau217 test to identify patients as being likely， intermediate or unlikely to have Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr Richard Oakley， a researcher at the Alzheimer’s Society， said： “This study is a hugely welcome step in the right direction. It suggests results from these tests could be clear enough to not require further follow-up investigations for some people living with Alzheimer’s disease， which could speed up the diagnosis pathway significantly in future. ”

Currently， the only wayx8PuTqZ+dO4XT570Nq3/aw== to prove that someone has a buildup of the proteins in the brain is to have a lumbar puncture or an amyloid PET scan， which are available in only about one in 20 NHS memory clinics.

Dr Sheona Scales， a director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK， said： “This study suggests that measuring levels of a protein called p-tau217 in the blood could be as accurate as currently used lumbar punctures for detecting the biological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease， and superior to a range of other tests currently under development.”

Prof David Curtis， an honorary professor at the UCL Genetics Institute， University College London， said： “It is possible that currently available treatments for Alzheimer’s disease would work better in those diagnosed early in this way. However， I think the real hope is that better treatments can also be developed. The combination of a simple screening test with an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease would have a dramatic impact for individuals and for society.”

The study from Dr Nicholas Ashton， of the University of Gothenburg， and colleagues is published in the Jama Neurology journal.

（材料來自The Guardian，有刪改）

1. What does the underlined word “revolutionise” in paragraph 1 mean？

A. Overturn. B. Supported. C. Exceed. D. Overtake.

2. What does the function of p-tau217 protein ？

A. It marks the rapid development of Alzheimer’s disease genes.

B. It is the marker for biological changes that happen in the brain with Alzheimer’s disease.

C. It is helpful for the rapid completion of lumbar puncture.

D. It promotes blood circulation and is conductive for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.

3. What kind of opinion does Dr Sheona Scales convey？

A. This research is beneficial for advancing the treatment and recovery of Alzheimer’s disease.

B. This research is not beneficial for promoting the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

C. Measuring the levels of a protein called p-tau217 in the blood could not be as accurate as currently used lumbar punctures for detecting the biological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.

D. The protein levels called p-tau217 tested in the blood are as accurate as the currently used lumbar puncture and superior to other tests.

4. Which column of a newspaper is the text probably taken from？

A. Health. B. Culture. C. Economy. D. Education.

1.A。解析：詞義辨析題。材料第一段提到“研究表明，檢測阿爾茨海默病的血液測試可能與疼痛且侵入性的腰椎穿刺一樣準確，并可能徹底改變對阿爾茨海默病的診斷”，由此可知“revolutionise”的意思是“徹底改變”。A選項的意思是“推翻、變革”，B選項的意思是“支持”，C選項的意思是“超過”，D選項的意思是“趕上、超過”，故選A。

2.B。解析：細節理解題。材料第三段提到“這種蛋白質是大腦發生阿爾茨海默病生物學變化的標志”，B選項與材料內容相符，故選B。

3.D。解析：細節理解題。材料第七段提到，Dr Sheona Scales的觀點是“這項研究表明，測量血液中一種名為p-tau217的蛋白質的水平，可以像目前用于檢測阿爾茨海默病的生物學特征的腰椎穿刺一樣準確，甚至優于目前正在開發的一系列其他測試”，D選項與材料內容相符，故選D。

4.A。解析：主旨大意題。材料的主要內容是“阿爾茨海默病的相關診斷取得巨大進步”，與人體健康有關，故選A。