其實在很多國家,都已經全員出動準備面對失智症的挑戰,英國的設計部和健康部門就在2012年舉辦了一個living well with dementia的競賽,他們希望將各個領域有專精的人聚集再一起,讓他們共同來思考,如何讓失智症患者可以活得更好,而不僅僅只是存活。他們的成果可以在這裡看到,相當令人興奮!
此外,聽損與否也可能會影響一個人大腦的結構與功能。美國約翰霍普金斯大學的研究人員 [10],利用「巴的摩爾老化長期研究(Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging)」的資料,針對聽損與腦容量的關係進行了一項有趣的研究,他們分析了一群受試者在逐漸老化時,其腦容量的變化。受試者在研究之初,做了聽力評估,接著接受為期長達十年、每年一次的核磁共振檢查。結果顯示,研究開始時就患有聽損的受試者,相較於聽常者,其大腦有較大幅度的萎縮,平均以每年一立方釐米以上的速度流失大腦組織,而這些大腦組織恰好與輕度認知功能退化和早期失智症所表現出的記憶衰退的行為有關 [11]。
Livingston, G., Huntley, J., Sommerlad, A., Ames, D., Ballard, C., Banerjee, S., … & Mukadam, N. (2020). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. The Lancet, 396(10248), 413-446.
Lin, F. R., Metter, E. J., O’Brien, R. J., Resnick, S. M., Zonderman, A. B., & Ferrucci, L. (2011). Hearing loss and incident dementia. Archives of Neurology, 68(2), 214-220.
Fulton, S. E., Lister, J. J., Bush, A. L. H., Edwards, J. D., & Andel, R. (2015, August). Mechanisms of the hearing–cognition relationship. In Seminars in Hearing (Vol. 36, No. 03, pp. 140-149). Thieme Medical Publishers.
Mishra, S., Stenfelt, S., Lunner, T., Rönnberg, J., & Rudner, M. (2014). Cognitive spare capacity in older adults with hearing loss. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 6, 96.
Mishra, S., Lunner, T., Stenfelt, S., Rönnberg, J., & Rudnera, M. (2013). Visual Information Can Hinder Working Memory Processing of Speech. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 56, 1120-1132.
Glick, H. A., & Sharma, A. (2020). Cortical neuroplasticity and cognitive function in early-stage, mild-moderate hearing loss: evidence of neurocognitive benefit from hearing aid use. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 93.
Lin, F. R., Ferrucci, L., An, Y., Goh, J. O., Doshi, J., Metter, E. J., … & Resnick, S. M. (2014). Association of hearing impairment with brain volume changes in older adults. Neuroimage, 90, 84-92.
Liu, J., Zhang, X., Yu, C., Duan, Y., Zhuo, J., Cui, Y., … & Liu, Y. (2016). Impaired parahippocampus connectivity in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 49(4), 1051-1064.
Steptoe, A., Shankar, A., Demakakos, P., & Wardle, J. (2013). Social isolation, loneliness, and all-cause mortality in older men and women. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(15), 5797-5801.
Maharani, A., Pendleton, N., & Leroi, I. (2019). Hearing impairment, loneliness, social isolation, and cognitive function: Longitudinal analysis using English longitudinal study on ageing. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 27(12), 1348-1356.
Lin, F. R., Metter, E. J., O’Brien, R. J., Resnick, S. M., Zonderman, A. B., & Ferrucci, L. (2011). Hearing loss and incident dementia. Archives of Neurology, 68(2), 214-220.
Paciello, F., Pisani, A., Rinaudo, M., Cocco, S., Paludetti, G., Fetoni, A. R., & Grassi, C. (2023). Noise-induced auditory damage affects hippocampus causing memory deficits in a model of early age-related hearing loss. Neurobiology of Disease, 178, 106024.
Meckfessel MH, Brandt S. The structure, function, and importance of ceramides in skin and their use as therapeutic agents in skin-care products. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;71(1):177-84.
Kahraman E, Kaykın M, Bektay HS, et al. Recent Advances on Topical Application of Ceramides to Restore Barrier Function of Skin. Cosmetics 2019, 6(3), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics6030052.
Spada F, Barnes TM, Greive KA. Skin hydration is significantly increased by a cream formulated to mimic the skin’s own natural moisturizing systems. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2018;11:491-497.
Uchiyama T, Nakano Y, Ueda O, et al. Oral Intake of Glucosylceramide Improves Relatively Higher Level of Transepidermal Water Loss in Mice and Healthy Human Subjects. J Health Sci. 2008; 54:559-566
Tsuchiya Y, Ban M, Kishi M, et al. Safety and Efficacy of Oral Intake of Ceramide-Containing Acetic Acid Bacteria for Improving the Stratum Corneum Hydration: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study over 12 Weeks. J Oleo Sci. 2020;69(11):1497-1508.
Le Stunff H, Véret J, Kassis N, et al. Deciphering the Link Between Hyperhomocysteinemia and Ceramide Metabolism in Alzheimer-Type Neurodegeneration. Front Neurol. 2019;10:807.
Mielke MM, Bandaru VV, Haughey NJ, et al. Serum ceramides increase the risk of Alzheimer disease: the Women’s Health and Aging Study II. Neurology. 2012;79(7):633-41.
Ueda O, Hasegawa M, Kitamura S. Distribution in skin of ceramide after oral administration to rats. Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 2009;24(2):180-4.