活体检查阿尔茨海默氏病

    A new imaging agent that homes in on the gummy plaques¹ and tangles² that jam up the brains of Alzheimer patients has allowed doctors to see the disease in a living person for the first time，researchers said Wednesday．The mind－robbing disease，which is always fatal and has no cure，can now only be definitively³ diagnosed by looking at the brain after a patient has died．本周三，研究人员说，一种能瞄准阿尔茨海默氏病患者脑损伤混乱团的造影剂，使医生首次能在患者活着时就了解病变情况。这种致命的疾病不但使大脑丧失功能并且无法治疗，现在只能在患者去世后，观察其脑组织变化方可确诊。
    IN THE NEW study，the researchers were able to view the messy clumps⁴ of dead cells in the brains of nine living Alzheimer's patients．The finding means that Alzheimer's，which affects 4 million Americans and millions more around the world，may be diagnosed in the early stages，when treatments might be able to do some good，said Jorge Barrio of the University of California Los Angeles．在这项新研究中，研究人员在9位阿尔茨海默病患者脑中看到死亡细胞结成混乱的团块。加尼福尼亚洲落杉矶大学的Jorge Barrio说，该病影响到4百万美国人和全世界成千上万的患者。这项发现意味着医生可以早期诊断该病，此时，治疗可能会有一些帮助。
    The method might also be useful in testing whether treatments for Alzheimer's are working，Barrio said．Barrio说，该方法也可用于检验对阿尔茨海默氏病的治疗是否有效。
    But the Alzheimer's Association cautioned that while interesting，the study is too small to draw firm conclusions or change medical practice．但是阿尔茨海默氏病学会提醒人们，尽管该研究有趣，但刚刚起步，尚不能得出确定的结论或改变医疗实践。
    The researchers are specialists in nuclear medicine，which uses radioactive compounds to help make images of the body．They designed and built a molecule⁵ called FDDNP．参与研究的人员是核医学专家，他们使用放射性化合物对人体内部组织进行造影。为此，他们设计和建立了一种叫做FDDNP的分子。
    To his surprise，Barrio found that FDDNP had a specific affinity⁶ for the neurofibrillary tangles and beta－amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients．令Barrio吃惊的是，他发现FDDNP对阿尔茨海默病患者脑中的神经纤维团和β－淀粉样蛋白斑有特别的亲和性。
    They tested the compound first in laboratory dishes，then in animals．Writing in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry，they said they finally tested it in nine Alzheimer's patients and seven healthy volunteers．他们首次在实验室中实验这种化合物，然后开展动物实验。他们发表在《美国老年精神病学杂志》上的文章说，他们最终在9位阿尔茨海默病患者和7位健康的志愿者身上做了实验。
    After injecting FDDNP，they used positron emission⁷ tomography （PET）scans，which can show how tissue is acting⁸ by measuring its use of sugar for basic energy．在为受试者注射FDDNP以后，他们使用了正电子发射x线断层扫描仪，该方法是依据对组织利用糖作为基础能量的测定，来显示组织活动情况。
    The scans clearly showed lesions in the areas of the brain associated with Alzheimer's．该扫描仪清晰地显示出与阿尔茨海默氏病有关的脑部病灶。
    Then one of the patients died，and Barrio's team was able to examine the brain．Indeed，the patient had damage in the areas suggested by the scan，and clearly had Alzheimer's．后来，一位病人去世了，Barrio小组可以直接检查他的脑部。结果，他脑部的病变正如扫描仪所见，有明显的阿尔茨海默氏病变。
    ”This is a huge step forward in getting a jump on the disease before it progresses to cause brain impairment，”Dr．Stephen Bartels，president of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry，said in a statement．美国老年精神病学会主席Stephen Bartels博士在一份报告中说：”这是一个巨大的进步，它使我们能在该病发展到脑损伤之前就有所行动。”
    Barrio said his team planned to apply to the U．S．Food and Drug Administration for a license⁹ to use the method to check at－risk people for Alzheimer's．Barrio说他们计划向美国食品和药物管理局提出申请，请求该局批准他们用该方法检查阿尔茨海默病的危险人群。
    By the time symptoms of Alzheimer's show up－memory loss，confusion and other problems－a patient already has considerable brain damage，Barrio said．Barrio说当该病出现症状时，如记忆力丧失、思维混乱等问题，病人已经有相当严重的脑损伤了。
    But studies show the disease starts years before，and progresses without showing symptoms．Studies have also shown that people who take aspirin－related drugs regularly have a lower risk of Alzheimer's．但是研究表明该病在出现症状前许多年就开始了，该病的发展过程没有症状。研究还表明，经常服用与阿斯匹林有关药物的人，较少患此病。
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1 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。

2 tangles   

（使）缠结， （使）乱作一团( tangle的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Long hair tangles easily. 长头发容易打结。
• Tangles like this still interrupted their intercourse. 像这类纠缠不清的误会仍然妨碍着他们的交情。

3 definitively   

adv.决定性地，最后地

参考例句：

• None of the three super-states could be definitively conquered even by the other two in combination. 三个超级国家中的任何一国都不可能被任何两国的联盟所绝对打败。 来自英汉文学
• Therefore, nothing can ever be definitively proved with a photograph. 因此，没有什么可以明确了一张照片。 来自互联网

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 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。

6 affinity   

n.亲和力，密切关系

参考例句：

• I felt a great affinity with the people of the Highlands.我被苏格兰高地人民深深地吸引。
• It's important that you share an affinity with your husband.和丈夫有共同的爱好是十分重要的。

7 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

8 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

9 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。