Hill Nikki L, Kolanowski Ann M, Gill David J
Doctoral Candidate, School of Nursing, 201 Health & Human Development East, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, , ,
Top Geriatr Rehabil. 2011 Oct;27(4):257-267. doi: 10.1097/tgr.0b013e31821e588e.
The scientific evidence of plasticity, or the brain's dynamic ability to alter its organization and activation throughout one's lifetime, has increased significantly over the last decade. This analytic review evaluates selected evidence regarding the persistence of plasticity in people with early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD). Functional neuroimaging provides persuasive evidence of plasticity throughout aging as well as the early stages of dementia, including the possibility of a heightened response during the prodromal period of AD. Behavioral outcomes research demonstrates the ability of people with early-stage AD to relearn previously forgotten information or otherwise improve cognitive abilities following a cognition-focused intervention. Both of these bodies of evidence support the existence of compensatory processes at work, even in the presence of dementia-related pathology. This retained ability of the brain to adapt to neurodegenerative disease in an attempt to maintain function may provide a valuable opportunity for intervention, particularly in the prodromal or earliest stages of AD.
在过去十年中，可塑性（即大脑在人一生中动态改变其结构和激活状态的能力）的科学证据显著增加。这篇分析性综述评估了有关早期阿尔茨海默病（AD）患者可塑性持续性的特定证据。功能神经影像学提供了令人信服的证据，证明可塑性在整个衰老过程以及痴呆症早期阶段都存在，包括在AD前驱期可能出现的反应增强。行为结果研究表明，早期AD患者在接受以认知为重点的干预后，有能力重新学习先前遗忘的信息或以其他方式提高认知能力。这两类证据都支持即使存在与痴呆症相关的病理情况，代偿过程仍在起作用。大脑这种保留的适应神经退行性疾病以维持功能的能力可能为干预提供宝贵机会，特别是在AD的前驱期或最早阶段。
