VOA慢速英語:研究表明：爆炸會對士兵大腦造成損傷

Scientists have been studying the effect of explosions on soldiers' brains since World War I.Some military veterans who survived powerful explosions may become violent or experience depression. It may be difficult for the former soldiers to concentrate on what they are doing. Their feelings may change quickly -- from happy to sad or even angry.

第一次世界大戰(zhàn)以來，科學(xué)家們一直在研究爆炸對士兵大腦所產(chǎn)生的影響。一些在巨大爆炸中幸存的老兵可能會變得暴力或患抑郁癥。對那些退役士兵而言，讓他們專注于自己正在做什么是非常困難的。他們的情緒可能會迅速改變——從快樂到悲傷，甚至變得憤怒。

Explosions Change Soldiers' Brains, Study Says

Now, researchers have found that the soldiers'brains suffered physical damage, like people who die in transportation accidents or from a drug overdose.

現(xiàn)今，研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，那些大腦遭受物理性損傷的士兵，其大腦與在交通事故中死亡或因服藥過量而死亡人們的大腦非常相似。

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine examined the brains of former soldiers who had died. These veterans had been injured in a battlefield explosion, but it was not what caused their death.

約翰·霍普金斯大學(xué)醫(yī)學(xué)院的研究人員對那些已經(jīng)死亡退役士兵的大腦進(jìn)行檢查。這些老兵曾經(jīng)在戰(zhàn)場上爆炸中受傷，但這并不是導(dǎo)致他們死亡的原因。

The researchers discovered evidence that nerve fibers in the front of the brain had been damaged. Professor Vassili Koliatsos led the study. He says the discovery explains why the veterans had a condition known as ‘shell shock.'

研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)的證據(jù)表明，他們大腦前部的神經(jīng)纖維受到損害。Vassili Koliatsos教授領(lǐng)導(dǎo)了這項(xiàng)研究。他表示，研究發(fā)現(xiàn)解釋了為什么這些老兵會患有所謂的“炮彈休克”癥狀。

"And that's very important because this is the site – this is the center of the executive functions of the brain, functions that allow you to put your life together, organize, plan ahead, understand, abstract. And you can imagine that this can make your life difficult." Visit the website www.chinavoa.com to get more information!

“這是非常重要的，因?yàn)檫@個部位——是大腦執(zhí)行功能的中心部位，讓你可以生活下去，進(jìn)行規(guī)劃、未雨綢繆、理解事物、處理思想，并且，你能想象到這會使你的生活變得困難。

Professor Koliatsos says the physical damage was often found near blood vessels inside theskull. He says this suggests that the force of the explosion pushed blood from the chest into the brain. This caused the brain to quickly swell or become enlarged. He says when the brain swells, it pushes against the skull.

Koliatsos教授說，物理損壞通常發(fā)生在顱內(nèi)血管的附近。他說，這表明，爆炸的力量將血液從胸口推向大腦，從而導(dǎo)致大腦迅速膨脹或變大，當(dāng)大腦膨脹，就會對頭骨施加推力。

The professor says that, as a result of the study's findings, doctors may decide to give different medicines to veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. And he says the findings may cause military officials to find ways to better-protect a soldier's chest.

教授還表示，作為研究的調(diào)查結(jié)果，醫(yī)生可能會決定給那些患有創(chuàng)傷后應(yīng)激障礙的老兵服用不同的藥物。他還表示，這一發(fā)現(xiàn)可能會促使軍事官員設(shè)法更好地保護(hù)士兵的胸膛。

I'm Bob Doughty.

VOA's George Putic reported on this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

concentrate– v. to think about something; to give your attention to the thing you are doing or reading

overdose– n. an amount of a drug or medicine that is too much and usually dangerous

executive functions – n. also known as cognitive control; the management memory, reasoning, task flexibility and problem solving, as well as planning and execution.

abstract– v. to deal with general ideas or qualities rather than specific people, objects or actions

skull– n. the bony structure that forms the head

swell– v. to become larger than normal; to enlarge