Perry E, Kay D W
Neurochemical Pathology Unit, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK.
Br J Biomed Sci. 1997 Sep;54(3):201-15.
The aetiology of the common dementias of old age remains incompletely understood. Here we describe some of the biological, neurophysiological and psychological changes associated with ageing of the human brain, in terms of those that occur throughout life and those that are characteristic of senescence. Age-dependent diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), are considered from these viewpoints, and risk factors described. Vascular dementia (VaD) is related to hypertension and atherosclerosis and detailed description of its pathogenesis is outside the scope of this review. The importance of age as the main risk factor raises basic questions about the relationship of these diseases to the ageing process itself. Similarities and differences between ageing and disease may be important for a rational approach to prevention and treatment of cognitive decline and dementia in later life.
老年常见痴呆症的病因仍未完全明了。在此，我们根据在整个生命过程中发生的变化以及衰老所特有的变化，来描述一些与人类大脑衰老相关的生物学、神经生理学和心理学变化。从这些角度考虑了与年龄相关的疾病，如阿尔茨海默病（AD）、特发性帕金森病（IPD）和路易体痴呆（DLB），并描述了风险因素。血管性痴呆（VaD）与高血压和动脉粥样硬化有关，其发病机制的详细描述不在本综述范围内。年龄作为主要风险因素的重要性引发了关于这些疾病与衰老过程本身关系的基本问题。衰老与疾病之间的异同对于合理防治晚年认知衰退和痴呆症可能具有重要意义。
