Mental Decline|你还记得吗？

Mental Decline

by William Ryan

Severe loss of mental functions among the elderly is increasing rapidly.

　　Dementia is a medical term that is used to describe a group of brain-related symptoms which all too often affect older people. Impaired memory, confusion, poor judgment, and difficulty carrying out basic daily activities are some of the most commonly seen. Whereas dementia can result from many possible sources, such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, and head injury, the most common cause is Alzheimer's disease, which accounts for 70 to 80 percent of the cases.

　　Unfortunately, dementia and Alzheimer's are both increasing at an alarming rate. In the US, it is estimated that five million people are now living with Alzheimer's, with someone being diagnosed with the disease every 72 seconds. Likewise, these two conditions are rapidly increasing in Taiwan.

　　Because of their similarities, the two conditions are often confused, and doctors are frequently asked to explain the difference between them. Dementia is any loss of mental ability that is severe enough to interfere with daily activities, such as keeping track of keys or wallets, paying bills, preparing meals, and remembering appointments. Memory loss is the most common symptom, and both short-term and long-term memory can be affected. Basically, dementia is not a specific disease, making it different from Alzheimer's, which is. Alzheimer's is a serious mental illness and the cause of most cases of dementia. People suffering from the disease may forget what day or season it is, have trouble speaking and writing, and not understanding what they see. Alzheimer's is progressive and always fatal, and like cancer, there is unfortunately no known cure for it. Alzheimer's patients are given specific drugs that help in managing some of the disease's symptoms.

　　There is a common misconception that severe loss of mental functions is a normal part of the aging process. This false notion is sometimes reflected in the term senile dementia, which is wrongly used to describe the condition of any elderly person who seems mentally afflicted. If older people eat right, stay active, and exercise their brains, they can avoid developing a disease that ultimately robs them of their mental capacity.

 

你还记得吗？

老年人心智功能严重衰退的情况正在迅速增加。

　　痴呆症是医学上的专有名词，用来描述许多与大脑相关的症状，而这些症状时常侵扰着老年人。记忆力受损、不知所措、缺乏判断力以及难以执行一些基本的日常活动，这些都是最常见的一些症状。然而痴呆症可能的起因不少，象是中风、帕金森氏症以及头部受创，而最常见的成因还是阿兹海默症，占了这些案例的百分之七十至八十。

　　遗憾的是，痴呆症和阿兹海默症都以惊人的速度在增加。光是在美国，据估计就有五百万人正受阿兹海默症之苦，而且每七十二秒就有人被诊断出患有此病。同样地，这两种病在台湾也正在迅速增加。

　　由于这两种病很类似，他们经常被混淆，而医生也常常被要求解释它们之间的差别。痴呆症是指一切严重程度足以妨碍到日常生活的心智能力丧失状况，象是找不到钥匙或钱包、忘了付帐单、忘了准备三餐和不记得约定等。记忆力衰退是最常见的症状，不管短期和长期记忆力都会受到影响。基本上，痴呆症不是一种具体的疾病，而阿兹海默症则是，这也造就了两者的不同。阿兹海默症是一种严重的精神疾病，也是多数痴呆症案例的起因。患有这种疾病的人可能会忘了今天是什么日子或什么季节，说与写会有困难，甚至不了解他们所见到的事物。阿兹海默症是渐进式的，而且一定会致命，遗憾的就是，就像癌症一样，没有一种已知的方法可以治疗阿兹海默症。阿兹海默症患者要服用一些特定药物来抑制这项疾病的症状。

　　常为大家所误解的就是，心理功能的严重衰退是正常老化过程的一部份。这种错误的观念有时也会反映在老年痴呆症这个专有名词上，它被误用来描述所有年长者受到精神折磨的状况。如果年长者正确地饮食、保持活动并常常动动脑，他们就可以避免得到这种最后会夺去他们心智能力的疾病。