HEALTH REPORT - New Method to Find Alzheimer's Disease

HEALTH REPORT - New Method to Find Alzheimer's Disease
By Jerilyn Watson

Broadcast: Wednesday, February 04, 2004

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

 
A computer picture of a brain affected¹ by Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's disease usually appears late in life. In the United States alone, experts say about four million people have this brain disorder². Over time, it robs people of their memory and ability to think. There are no cures.

Until now, Alzheimer's could be confirmed only by examining brain tissue after death or by taking brain tissue from a living patient. Now, a new test offers hope that Alzheimer's may be found earlier.

Experts currently give written and spoken tests to help decide if a person has the disease. They also use a process called magnetic resonance³ imaging to see the brain changes that may mean Alzheimer's.

Many patients already have been seriously affected by the time the disease shows up on these M-R-I's. Most of the materials believed linked to the disease are present on the image. They are called protein clumps⁴.

But the new test makes it possible to see the protein clumps before they could be found by M-R-I. The new test might identify the disease before a person shows signs of Alzheimer's. Treatment could begin earlier. Doctors could see if the treatment is helping⁵. New or improved drugs may be developed.

William Klunk of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pennsylvania helped invent the test. It calls for patients to receive a small amount of a radioactive molecule⁶ called Pittsburgh Compound B. It is administered through the blood.

Doctor Klunk says it connects itself to proteins called amyloid plaques⁷. These plaques exist in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Doctors can see them with an examination called a PET scan. Proteins affected by Alzheimer's show as yellow and red.

For years, Doctor Klunk and his team searched for a substance that could connect with the amyloid. Finally they found a material that can reach the brain through the blood. This Pittsburgh Compound B can color the amyloid.

The finding led to a test of sixteen suspected Alzheimer's patients. The researchers say the test found amyloid in those patients. It also found small amounts in one of nine healthy people tested for comparison. Testing on more people is needed. The United States Food and Drug Administration currently is considering approval of the process.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Jerilyn Watson.

1 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。

2 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

3 resonance   

n.洪亮；共鸣；共振

参考例句：

• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments.一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。
• The areas under the two resonance envelopes are unequal.两个共振峰下面的面积是不相等的。

4 clumps   

n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声

参考例句：

• These plants quickly form dense clumps. 这些植物很快形成了浓密的树丛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bulbs were over. All that remained of them were clumps of brown leaves. 这些鳞茎死了，剩下的只是一丛丛的黃叶子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

7 plaques   

（纪念性的）匾牌( plaque的名词复数 )； 纪念匾； 牙斑； 空斑

参考例句：

• Primary plaques were detectable in 16 to 20 hours. 在16到20小时内可查出原发溶斑。
• The gondoliers wore green and white livery and silver plaques on their chests. 船夫们穿着白绿两色的制服，胸前别着银质徽章。