◎ 魏國金

Chinese medicine may be effective in battling certain symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, and lessening side effects from the drugs used to treat the condition, according to a new study.

中藥在對抗巴金森氏症某些症狀或許有效，同時能減輕巴金森氏治療藥物的副作用，一項新研究指出。

Researchers at Hong Kong Baptist University said Gouteng, a traditional Chinese herb used to treat hypertension, helped patients better communicate and made them less prone to depression and sleeping difficulties.

香港浸會大學的研究人員說，用來治療高血壓的傳統中草藥鉤藤，有助於改善巴金森氏症病患的溝通能力、減輕他們的沮喪傾向與睡眠障礙。

Parkinson’s is a progressive motor-system disorder which usually affects people over the age of 50, although it can strike earlier, often causing severe symptoms including body trembling, stiffness and loss of balance.

巴金森氏症是一種運動系統漸進失調疾病，雖然它可能較早發病，但通常影響50歲以上的人，它往往引發嚴重症狀，其中包括身體顫抖、僵硬與失去平衡。

The condition is usually treated with a drug called levodopa, which the brain converts into dopamine to relieve the symptoms, but it can also cause nausea and hallucinations.

這種疾病通常以稱為左多巴的藥物治療，大腦將該成分轉為多巴胺以緩和相關症狀，然而它可能引發噁心、幻覺。

The Baptist University study found that patients who took Gouteng together with levodopa experienced fewer side effects from the drug while showing a marked improvement in their communication skills.

浸會大學的研究發現，一起服用左多巴與鉤藤的病患，經驗到左多巴較少的副作用，同時顯示其溝通能力有顯著進步。

Li Min, an associate professor who led the study, said the findings could also help boost the profile of Chinese medicine. Li said that she expects the herb would start being used to treat the disease after the second phase of the study in 2013.

領導該研究的副教授李敏說，這項發現或許有助提升中醫的地位。李敏說，她預期該草藥在2013年的第二階段研究後，將可開始用於治療巴金森氏症。

新聞辭典

condition︰在此為名詞，指疾病、症狀，也可用為動詞，指使健康、使處於適當狀態。例句︰Thinking conditions your brain.（思考使你的腦子發達。）

prone to︰片語，有…傾向的、易於…的。例句︰She is prone to be late for work.（她上班往往遲到。）

convert into︰片語，使轉化、使轉換。例如︰convert defeat into victory（轉敗為勝、逆轉勝。）