時差N小時:藥物與學(xué)習(xí)能力 Drugs and Learning

Yael, when you experience something new, do youknowwhat happens to your brain?

你知道當(dāng)你碰到新的東西的時候，你的大腦會發(fā)生什么嗎?

Some of the neurons in your brain build newconnections.

大腦中的神經(jīng)元會建立起新的連接。

My brain is rewired, as scientists often put it.

就像科學(xué)家們經(jīng)常做的，這個時候的大腦在重新裝入信息。

Our brains arealways changing, in response to newexperiences or as a resultof learning new information.

由于我們接觸到了新的東西或是獲得了新的信息，我們的大腦一直都在不停的變化。

That's how we're able to learn and remember new experiences andinformation.

我們就是以這樣的方式來學(xué)習(xí)和記憶新的東西，新的信息。

You got it! But you know what happens to your brain when you experience new things afteryoudone psychol similar drugs, such as amphetamine or cocaine?

就是這樣的。但是你知道在服用了安非他命或可卡因這一類藥物這樣的情況下，接觸到新事物時你的大腦又會發(fā)生什么嗎?

The same thing? Right?Or no?

沒什么不同的，吧?對嗎?

The answer is, no!

答案當(dāng)然是“No”。

Evidence indicates that prior use of some drugs impairs the brain's ability to forge newconnections between neurons in response to new experiences.

有科學(xué)依據(jù)稱，在接觸新事物之前服用某些藥物會破壞大腦神經(jīng)元之間建立連接的能力。

Scientists took abunch of rats and gave some of them either amphetamine or cocaine for twentydays, while givingthe others a saline solution for twenty days.

科學(xué)家們用大量的老鼠來做了試驗。他們將老鼠分成兩組，給第一組老鼠喂食20天的安非他命或是可卡因，給第二組老鼠喂食20天的鹽水。

When the twenty days were up, half of the rats were moved from ordinary laboratory cagestofancy new cages equipped with all kinds of bridges, ramps, tunnels, and other toys.

20天過后，他們將一半的老鼠從普通的實驗籠子轉(zhuǎn)移到“超豪華”的新籠子里，里面有橋梁，有坡道，有隧道，還有其他的玩具。

After three andhalf months the scientists examined all of the rats brains.

三個半月后，科學(xué)家們對老鼠的大腦進行了仔細(xì)的研究。

They discovered that the saline solution rats that were moved to the new cages had a greaternumber of neuronal connections than all the other rats, including the drugged rats in thenewcages.

他們發(fā)現(xiàn)，搬入新“家”的喂食鹽水的老鼠比其他的老鼠建立了更多的神經(jīng)元連接。

These findings may aid in explaining some of the behavioral and cognitive impairments viewedin people who are addicted to drugs.

這些研究發(fā)現(xiàn)可能有助于解釋為什么那些吸毒成癮的人會有一定的行為和認(rèn)知障礙。