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VOA慢速英语2014 Millions Suffer from Epilepsy 数百万人患有癫痫

时间:2014-01-22 14:30:28

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Millions Suffer from Epilepsy 数百万人患有癫痫

From VOA Learning English, this is Science in the News.  I'm Steve Ember.

And I'm Jim Tedder1.  Today we will tell about the brain disorder2 known as epilepsy. Many people do not understand epilepsy.  Medical experts are working to understand it and improve the lives of those who suffer from it.  There is no cure for epilepsy.  But we will tell you about new treatments for the disorder. 

Epilepsy is a medical condition that produces seizures4.  A seizure3 happens when a sudden increase of electrical activity interferes6 with normal operations in the brain.

Nerve cells use electrical particles to communicate with each other.  Millions of electrical particles pass between nerve cells in the brain.  When the brain has a sudden burst of electricity, the body experiences physical changes called epileptic seizures.  Victims can shake uncontrollably for brief periods.  They also can temporarily lose the ability to think clearly or communicate. 

Most seizures can last anywhere between 30 seconds and two minutes.  These seizures do not cause permanent damage.  However, a seizure is considered a medical emergency if it lasts more than five minutes.  One in 10 adults will have a seizure during their life.

Different kinds of seizures result when different parts of the brain are affected7.  If electrical activity increases in only one area of the brain, the person has what doctors call a partial seizure.  Many times, people may suffer a partial seizure and do not know it.  They might note strange feelings in an arm or leg.  They also might hear noises or look straight ahead for a few minutes. 

Sometimes the individual will have an uncontrolled movement, like turning the head to one side.  Most partial seizures last less than 90 seconds.  So it is not always possible for others to recognize them as signs of a disorder. 

When people hear the word seizure, they often think of what doctors call a grand mal seizure.  A person experiencing this kind of seizure will fall to the ground.  His or her body will become firm and start to shake.  After a few minutes, the individual will stop moving and go into a deep sleep, one that may last an hour or more.  When they re-awaken, they will not remember what just happened.  Some grand mal seizures start with partial seizures and become worse.

Experts have reported different reasons why an individual may suffer epileptic seizures.  For example, older adults may develop epilepsy because of an infection, stroke, or Alzheimer's disease.  Head injuries or a lack of oxygen at birth may damage the electrical system in the brain.  Other causes are poisoning and high body temperatures. 

The World Health Organization estimates that about 50 million people around the world have epilepsy.  The WHO says the highest number of cases are in developing countries.  It says many people in the developing world suffer from epilepsy because of local conditions.  In such areas, people have a greater chance of experiencing a medical condition or disease that can lead to permanent brain damage. 

The World Health Organization says many people with epilepsy receive no treatment.  And for those who do receive treatment, a medical operation may be too costly8

There is no cure for epilepsy.  Generally, medicine is used to treat patients with the disorder.  The Epilepsy Foundation of America says different kinds of medicines can stop or control different kinds of seizures.  

There are many different kinds of anti-epileptic medicines on the market.  These drugs work best only after they reach what experts call a desired level in the body.  It might take months to identify the right drug to control the disorder because each one may cause side effects.  These include weight gain or loss, eye or stomach problems, sleepiness and loss of balance.  Some people may suffer depression, or have problems thinking or talking after taking some drugs.  And the WHO says anti-epileptic drugs work only 70 percent of the time.

Some people with epilepsy may be able to control their seizures by controlling what they eat.  The ketogenic diet was developed in the first part of the 20th century.  It is very high in fat and low in carbohydrates9.  It makes the body burn fat for energy instead of sugar. 

This diet requires family cooperation if the patient is a child.  It also requires trained medical supervision10.  The patient must be in a hospital for the first part of the treatment.  The amount of food and liquid the patient can have at meal time must be carefully weighed for each individual.  The patient should obey the dietary restrictions11 for at least one month before experts know if the treatment is successful. 

The Epilepsy Foundation says that about one third of children on the ketogenic diet become seizure-free or almost seizure-free.  Another third improve but still experience some seizures.  The others cannot continue with the diet or it has no effect on their seizures.

Possible effects of the diet include digestive problems, loss of fluids in the body, and development of kidney stones or gall12 stones.  Another danger is that high levels of fat could develop in the blood.

 

Last year, doctors in Taiwan reported that the ketogenic diet was effective in reducing seizures in children with epilepsy.  The doctors are pediatricians, specialists in treating children, at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.  They examined children who stayed on the diet for more than a year.  The pediatricians said more than half of the children experienced a 50 percent reduction in seizures.  In fact, 64 percent reportedly became seizure-free with the diet!

Medical researchers continue searching for better ways to treat epilepsy.  Every year, the American Epilepsy Society holds a meeting to discuss new findings and ideas about the disorder.  In December of 2013, more than 4,800 people attended the conference in Washington, DC.

Researchers from the Emory University School of Medicine presented a study about a treatment called Stereotactic Laser Ablation, or SLA.  The procedure has been proven to help control seizures in people suffering from extreme epilepsy.

SLA is a surgical13 operation aimed at preventing seizures.  It is different from traditional epileptic surgeries because it protects more areas of the brain. 

Traditional surgery requires large cuts through different parts of the brain.  The cuts can result in severe memory loss.  But SLA is done with a laser.  And the researchers say it has prevented memory loss.  Patients have a faster recovery time because the surgery is completed using lasers.   

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved another treatment for epilepsy.  It is called the NeuroPace RNS system.  It was created to treat partial epilepsy through preventative measures.  The manufacturer, NeuroPace, says the device is designed for use in patients aged14 18 years and older.

Doctors surgically15 place the RNS system inside the brain of the patient.  It operates on battery power.  The RNS system can produce a short series of electrical bursts to the brain.  The device is programmed to look for electrical activity in the brain that would interfere5 with normal operations.  If the system identifies a problem, it produces bursts of electricity to normalize the brain before a seizure takes place. 

The system uses a software program in a computer to communicate with the implanted RNS system.  The program is also able to study the patient's brain activity. 

NeuroPace completed its first experiments with the RNS system in 2004.  The company has been testing the device since then.  The Food and Drug Administration approved the system for public use late last year.  

Another form of surgery is Vagus Nerve Stimulation16.  The FDA approved the treatment in 1997.  It is designed for adults and young people who have partial seizures that cannot be controlled in other ways.

In this treatment, electrical energy enters the brain through the vagus nerve in the neck.  The electricity comes from a small battery placed under the skin in the chest. Medical experts set the device to provide a small amount of energy every few minutes.  The patient can also send a few seconds of energy through the nerve if he or she feels that a seizure is near.  This has been known to stop a seizure.

The Epilepsy Foundation says people using Vagus Nerve Stimulation still must take anti-seizure medicines.  But the amount may decrease as the treatment continues.

Doctors can also operate to remove the part of the brain suspected of causing epileptic seizures.  This is done only when medicines fail to control the disorder.  

This Science in the News was written by Brianna Blake and Kim Varzi. I’m Steve Ember.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 tedder 2833afc4f8252d8dc9f8cd73b24db55d     
n.(干草)翻晒者,翻晒机
参考例句:
  • Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆?特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
  • Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆?泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网
2 disorder Et1x4     
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 seizure FsSyO     
n.没收;占有;抵押
参考例句:
  • The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
  • The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。
4 seizures d68658a6ccfd246a0e750fdc12689d94     
n.起获( seizure的名词复数 );没收;充公;起获的赃物
参考例句:
  • Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因,有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句
5 interfere b5lx0     
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰
参考例句:
  • If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话,可能弊多利少。
  • When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件,棘手的事情就来了。
6 interferes ab8163b252fe52454ada963fa857f890     
vi. 妨碍,冲突,干涉
参考例句:
  • The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。
  • That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。
7 affected TzUzg0     
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。
8 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
参考例句:
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
9 carbohydrates 001f0186d1ea717492c413ca718f2635     
n.碳水化合物,糖类( carbohydrate的名词复数 );淀粉质或糖类食物
参考例句:
  • The plant uses the carbohydrates to make cellulose. 植物用碳水化合物制造纤维素。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • All carbohydrates originate from plants. 所有的碳水化合物均来自植物。 来自辞典例句
10 supervision hr6wv     
n.监督,管理
参考例句:
  • The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
  • The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。
11 restrictions 81e12dac658cfd4c590486dd6f7523cf     
约束( restriction的名词复数 ); 管制; 制约因素; 带限制性的条件(或规则)
参考例句:
  • I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
  • a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制
12 gall jhXxC     
v.使烦恼,使焦躁,难堪;n.磨难
参考例句:
  • It galled him to have to ask for a loan.必须向人借钱使他感到难堪。
  • No gall,no glory.没有磨难,何来荣耀。
13 surgical 0hXzV3     
adj.外科的,外科医生的,手术上的
参考例句:
  • He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
  • All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前,必须消毒。
14 aged 6zWzdI     
adj.年老的,陈年的
参考例句:
  • He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了,也老点了。
  • He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老,然而记忆力还好。
15 surgically surgically     
adv. 外科手术上, 外科手术一般地
参考例句:
  • Unsightly moles can be removed surgically. 不雅观的痣可以手术去除。
  • To bypass this impediment an almost mature egg cell is removed surgically. 为了克服这一障碍,通过手术,取出一个差不多成熟的卵细胞。
16 stimulation BuIwL     
n.刺激,激励,鼓舞
参考例句:
  • The playgroup provides plenty of stimulation for the children.幼儿游戏组给孩子很多启发。
  • You don't get any intellectual stimulation in this job.你不能从这份工作中获得任何智力启发。

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