Pro Translation: Cognitive Neuroscience

Combination of two brain diagrams in one for comparison. In the left normal brain, in the right brain of a person with Alzheimer's disease (Wikipedia)

My latest pro translation carries me into the field of cognitive neuroscience, specifically the use of magnetic resonance imaging to identify memory disorders like Alzheimer's Disease and something else called "Mild Cognitive Disorder" 輕度認知障礙, or MCI. A few interesting terms from the Chinese:

1. 执行功能 executive functions. "The concept is used by psychologists and neuroscientists to describe a loosely defined collection of brain processes that are responsible for planning, cognitive flexibility, abstract thinking, rule acquisition, initiating appropriate actions and inhibiting inappropriate actions, and selecting relevant sensory information." - Wikipedia
2. 工具性日常生活活動 instrumental activities of daily living (instrumental ADLs), which "are not necessary for fundamental functioning, but they let an individual live independently in a community: Housework, Taking medications as prescribed, Managing money, etc., etc." -- Wikipedia
3. 聚类和转换 clustering and shifting. Not sure I have this right? These are linguistic processes that become more limited for AD sufferers. In advanced Alzheimer's, "Language is reduced to simple phrases or even single words, eventually leading to complete loss of speech." -- Wikipedia
4. 內側顳葉 the medial temporal lobe. 
5. 海馬、內嗅皮質 hippocampal and entorhinal cortex. MRI researchers have discovered that a lower hippocampal volume corresponds to lower performance on tests of cognitive ability. Changes in stimulus patterns to the hippocampus seem to indicate the onset of Alzheimer's. 
6. 脑成像的大小与实际脑萎缩的情况成正比. "imaged brain size and actual brain atrophy states are in direct proportion." It's important to be able to say "a and b are in direct proportion." For inverse, it would be 成反比 at the end.

As this interesting set of terms indicates, the study of long-term decline in brain function among older adults is fascinating and heart-breaking. Losing speech completely, especially if some mental function continues inside the brain, must be one of the greatest tragedies any human being can experience. I can't help but sympathize with Adam's proposition that we, or at least he, try to die before such symptoms occur.