forms of cholesterol, like LDL (bad cholesterol), are unhealthy for the brain, it’s possible that the three forms of APOE affect the brain differently due to the way they convey cholesterol.
**某些型態的膽固醇，如 LDL（壞膽固醇），對大腦有害；因此，有可能三種 APOE 型態因為運輸膽固醇的方式不同，而對大腦產生不同影響。**
Since we initially discovered APOE, scientists have found other genes that may help keep the brain young.
**自從我們最初發現 APOE 之後，科學家又找到了其他可能有助於維持大腦年輕的基因。**
BDNF (short for brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is a gene that stimulates brain cell growth and strengthens the connections between neurons.
**BDNF（腦源性神經滋養因子）是一種基因，能刺激腦細胞生長，並強化神經元之間的連結。**
Another gene associated with a lower Alzheimer’s risk, TREM2, interacts with the body’s inflammatory system and may control age-related inflammation by staving off mental and physical aging.
**另一個與較低阿茲海默症風險相關的基因 TREM2，會與身體的發炎系統互動，並可能透過抑制身心老化來控制與年齡相關的發炎反應。**
Genome-wide association study (GWAS), a novel method that scans the entire human genome to identify genetic variations associated with a particular disease, has identified numerous risk genes for Alzheimer’s and helped scientists better understand the underlying mechanisms of the disease.
**所謂的全基因體關聯研究（GWAS）是一種掃描整個人類基因組、找出與特定疾病相關基因變異的新方法；這種研究已經發現許多與阿茲海默症風險有關的基因，並幫助科學家更深入了解該疾病背後的機制。**
---
### Test Your Knowledge
**小測驗：考考你**
Answer the following multiple-choice question:
**請回答下面這題選擇題：**
People who complete a college education:
**完成大學教育的人：**
A. Have a higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease
**A. 罹患阿茲海默症的風險較高**
B. Have a lower risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease
**B. 罹患阿茲海默症的風險較低**
C. Are more arrogant than nongraduates
**C. 比沒念大學的人更傲慢**
D. None of the above
**D. 以上皆非**
Correct Answer
**正確答案**
B. Scientists attribute the association between education and lower Alzheimer’s risk to the mental stimulation that education provides.
**B。科學家認為，教育與較低阿茲海默症風險之間的關聯，來自教育過程所帶來的心智刺激。**
But it could also be a result of the fact that educated people are more likely to be aware that habits, like exercising and not smoking, are good for their health.
**但這也可能部分是因為受過教育的人更可能意識到，像運動、不抽菸這類習慣對健康有益。**
---
Mental stimulation, physical exercise, diet, and other healthy lifestyle habits have a stronger impact on keeping our brains young than genetics.
**心智刺激、身體運動、飲食以及其他健康生活習慣，對保持大腦年輕的影響，比基因更強。**
We demonstrated this impact when we studied the effects of educational achievement on brain function.
**我們在研究教育成就對大腦功能的影響時，證實了這點。**
After performing PET scans on volunteers of various ages, we compared the results of those with and without a college degree.
**我們替不同年齡層的志願者做 PET 掃描，並比較擁有與未擁有大學學歷者之間的結果。**
College graduates ranging from their 20s to their 50s displayed higher activity in brain memory regions than people who had not graduated from college.
**從二十多歲到五十多歲，各年齡層的大學畢業生在大腦記憶相關區域的活動量，都比未大學畢業者更高。**
Getting a college degree actually affected brain function more than possessing the good APOE-2 or APOE-3 gene allele.
**取得大學學位對大腦功能的影響，實際上比擁有「較佳」的 APOE‑2 或 APOE‑3 等位基因還要大。**
Of course, a healthy genetic roll of the dice may increase the likelihood of someone attending college, but once there, the enriched educational environment further boosts brain health and keeps neurons active and resilient, even decades later.
**當然，良好的基因「擲骰結果」可能讓一個人更有機會上大學，但一旦進到大學，豐富的教育環境會進一步提升大腦健康，讓神經元在之後的數十年間都維持活躍且具韌性。**
---
Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll
**性、藥物與搖滾樂**
Not long ago, Paul McCartney admitted to forgetting some of the lyrics to his early Beatles songs.
**不久前，保羅・麥卡尼承認，他已經忘記了一些早期披頭四歌曲的歌詞。**
I imagined him singing, “She loves you, wow, wow, wow, wow….”
**我想像他唱著：「She loves you, wow, wow, wow, wow……」**
McCartney’s disclosure probably made a lot of baby boomers feel better about forgetting some of the lyrics to their own favorite oldies.
**麥卡尼的坦白，大概讓許多同世代的嬰兒潮族在忘記自己最愛老歌的部分歌詞時，心裡好受一點。**
Music has a powerful effect on the brain.
**音樂對大腦有強大的影響力。**
Research indicates that when we listen to music we enjoy, it improves both our mood and our memory.
**研究指出，當我們聆聽自己喜歡的音樂時，情緒和記憶力都會變好。**
Even people with mild cognitive impairment can increase their learning and recall abilities after just a week of listening to their favorite tunes.
**即使是輕度認知障礙患者，只要聽自己喜歡的音樂一週，就能提升學習與回想能力。**
Music activates the brain’s dopamine reward system as well as its emotional control center, the amygdala (ah-mig-de-lah)—an almond-shaped knob of tissue deep in the center of the brain.
**音樂會啟動大腦的多巴胺獎賞系統，以及情緒控制中樞——杏仁核（amygdala），這是一塊位於大腦深處、形狀像杏仁的小組織。**
When we enjoy music, our brain gets flooded with the feel-good dopamine neurotransmitter.
**當我們享受音樂時，大腦會大量釋放讓人感到愉悅的神經傳導物質──多巴胺。**
