英語流行話題聽力:Unit 35 關于阿爾茨海默氏病

[00:00.18] Unit 35's About Alzheimer Disease Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities. [00:12.35] The most common form of dementia among older people is Alzheimer's disease( AD), which involves the parts of the brain that control thought, [00:22.27] memory, and language. [00:24.39] Scientists think that as many as 4.5 million Americans suffer from AD. [00:29.39] The disease usually begins after age 60, and risk goes up with age. [00:37.18] AD is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German doctor. [00:42.17] In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. [00:52.11] He found abnormal clumps. [00:55.05] Scientists also have found other brain changes in people with AD. [01:00.24] Nerve cells die in areas of the brain that are vital to memory and other mental abilities. [01:07.28] Scientists do not yet fully understand what causes AD. [01:11.07] Age is the most important known risk factor for AD. [01:16.41] Family history is another risk factor. [01:19.55] Scientists believe that genetics may play a role in many AD cases. [01:25.39] Scientists still need to learn more about what causes AD. [01:29.01] In addition to genetics, they are studying education, diet, and environment to learn what role they might play in the development of this disease. [01:41.14] AD begins slowly. [01:43.22] At first, the only symptom may be mild forgetfulness. [01:47.26] In this stage, people may have trouble remembering recent events, activities, or the names of familiar people or things. [01:56.44] They may not be able to solve simple math problems. [02:00.31] Such difficulties may be a bother, but usually they are not serious enough to cause alarm. [02:06.40] However, as the disease goes on, symptoms are more easily noticed. [02:13.04] People in the middle stages of AD may forget how to do simple tasks, like brushing their teeth or combing their hair. [02:21.32] They can no longer think clearly. [02:23.21] They begin to ae problems speaking, understanding, reading, or writing. [02:29.06] Later on, people with AD may become anxious or aggressive, or wander away from home. [02:36.26] Eventually, patients need total care. [02:40.21] AD is a slow disease, starting with mild memory problems and ending with severe brain damage. [02:47.31] No treatment can stop AD. [02:49.59] However, for some people in the early and middle stages of the disease, some dugs may help prevent some symptoms from becoming worse for a limited time. [03:01.05] Developing new treatments for AD is an active area of research. [03:12.51] Research has shown that vitamin E, estrogen, and ginkgo biloba slow the progress of AD.

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