CNN News: 500万美国人患有老年痴呆症

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer`s. It`s a disease that`s associated with memory loss and decrease brain function.

超过500万美国人患有阿尔茨海默症。这种疾病可以导致记忆丧失，大脑功能减退。

In a new survey by the Alzheimer`s Association, look into the disease`s effects on people who care for Alzheimer`s patients, their families, their loved ones. It found they feel a significant financial impact, an average of more than $5,000 per year that caregiver spend of their own money. It also found that some of them are more likely to go hungry or cut back on their own medical treatment to make ends meet and affording care for the Alzheimer`s patients.

阿尔茨海默症协会进行的一项新的研究，调查了这种疾病对照顾病患者、病患的家人、亲人的影响。结果表明，这种疾病会给他们带来巨大的经济影响，照料者平均每年要多花费5000美元。结果还表明，很多人宁愿挨饿或者减少自己的医疗开支来维持收支平衡，照顾老年痴呆症患者。

So, what could be done about this? The association suggests the national effort to help families better understand the expenses they could face, plan for the future and know what services are available in their communities to help with Alzheimer`s care.

那么，对此应该做些什么呢?阿尔海默茨协会建议国家帮助家属解决开支问题，计划未来、并了解社区内有哪些可行的服务可以帮助照料老年痴呆症患者。

It only weighs three pounds, has a texture like firmed jelly and tons of wrinkles.

仅仅有三磅重，它的纹理像固定的果冻，但是很多的褶皱。

Yet that pint-sized prune of a brain is the most amazing powerful organ in your entire body when it`s working right. But when it`s not, as in Alzheimer`s disease, the results can be devastating.

大脑中这个一品脱大小深红色的部分，正常工作时，是我们人体中最强大的器官。但是，对于老年痴呆症病患来说，结果并不是这样的，结果是毁灭性的。

Take a look here. The brain on left, that`s normal. The one on the right has advanced Alzheimer`s.

看看这里，左边的大脑是正常的。但右边的这个属于晚期阿尔茨海默症病患。

Here`s another view. See how the brain shrinks and fluid filled spaces expand. That`s Alzheimer`s crippling the ability to think and to plan.

这是另外一个视角。看看大脑是如何萎缩，以及充满液体的空间是如何扩张的。这就是老年痴呆症在摧毁人的思考和计划能力。

And also look here at the hippocampus. It shrivels. The small sea horse structure allows us to form new memories but it`s also the first to disintegrate.

再看看海马体，也在枯萎。海马结构让我们形成新的记忆，但同时它会第一个遭到破坏。

So, how does this all happen? It starts inside the wrinkled part of the brain here called the cortex, where billions of brain cells interconnecting trillions of ways to create these neuron forests, tiny electric charges move signals like a baby`s cry to each neuron, to a junction called the synapse, where chemicals called neurotransmitters leap across the gap, carrying the cry to more and more neurons and the memory is born.

那么这一切，是如何发生的呢?老年痴呆症开始于皮层部位，这里有数十亿的脑细胞连接数以万亿计的方法来创建这些神经元，例如婴儿啼哭的电荷移动信号会发给突触。在突触处，神经质将哭声传递给越来越多的神经元，记忆就产生了。

But in Alzheimer`s, protein pieces called beta amyloid begin to clump together, while another protein called Tau starts to fall apart, creating plaques and tangles, that blocks signals and nutrients from getting through.

但是，对于老年痴呆症患者，其大脑中β淀粉样蛋白碎片开始凝聚，而tau蛋白开始分解，形成斑块和神经元纤维缠结，这就会阻断信号和营养的运输。

Cells begin to die. New memories cannot take hold. The ability to think and plan deteriorates. Personality and behavior is affected. And ultimately, the once mighty brain is no more.

细胞开始死亡。新的记忆就不会形成。同时思考和计划的能力就开始退化，导致人格和行为也受到了影响。最终，强大的大脑将不复存在。