科學(xué)家們發(fā)現(xiàn)，通過(guò)對(duì)大腦部分區(qū)域進(jìn)行無(wú)創(chuàng)刺激，可增強(qiáng)人們的記憶力，效果至少能維持一個(gè)月。專家發(fā)現(xiàn)，參與實(shí)驗(yàn)的志愿者接受電流刺激后，在單詞記憶任務(wù)中表現(xiàn)得更好，這些任務(wù)測(cè)試了即時(shí) “工作” 記憶和長(zhǎng)期記憶。

Our brain works by firing off electrical impulses. The team at Boston University used this in order to boost memory.

我們的大腦通過(guò)發(fā)送電脈沖來(lái)工作。美國(guó)波士頓大學(xué)的研究團(tuán)隊(duì)就利用了這一原理來(lái)提高人們的記憶力。

They asked volunteers to wear a cap filled with electrodes, then used precise electrical currents to alter their brainwaves in 20-minute sessions of brain stimulation. These took place every day for four days, and the group's ability to remember a list of words was tested. The results, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, showed improvements in memory lasted at least a month.

研究人員讓志愿者戴上一頂裝滿電極的帽子，然后用精確的電流改變其腦電波，對(duì)大腦進(jìn)行每次20分鐘的無(wú)創(chuàng)刺激。實(shí)驗(yàn)連續(xù)進(jìn)行了四天，然后測(cè)試了志愿者們記憶一組單詞的能力。測(cè)試的結(jié)果發(fā)表在《自然-神經(jīng)科學(xué)》期刊上，志愿者們記憶力改善的效果至少維持了一個(gè)月。

The researchers were able to boost two types of memory. They improved the volunteers' long-term memory, which is how we can remember our first day at school, and also working memory, which is for the here and now, such as remembering what platform your train's on.

研究人員能夠提高兩種類型的記憶。他們改善了志愿者的長(zhǎng)期記憶，就是幫助我們記得第一天上學(xué)時(shí)的情景的記憶，同時(shí)還改善了工作記憶，就是用于記住此時(shí)此刻發(fā)生的事情的記憶，比如馬上要乘坐火車的站臺(tái)號(hào)。

The researchers are now investigating whether this technology can be used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, when brain cells have already started dying, as well as in schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

研究人員正在研究這項(xiàng)技術(shù)能否用于治療患病時(shí)腦細(xì)胞已開(kāi)始萎縮的阿爾茨海默病，以及精神分裂癥和強(qiáng)迫癥。

詞匯表

firing off 發(fā)射，發(fā)送
electrical impulses 電脈沖
boost 提高，改善
electrodes 電極
electrical currents 電流
brainwaves 腦電波
stimulation 刺激
long-term memory 長(zhǎng)期記憶
the here and now 此時(shí)此刻，當(dāng)前
brain cells 腦細(xì)胞
schizophrenia 精神分裂癥
obsessive-compulsive disorder 強(qiáng)迫癥

閱讀理解：請(qǐng)?jiān)谧x完上文后，回答下列問(wèn)題。

1. True or false? The results of the research showed improvements in memory lasted for at least two months.

2. What knowledge did the team at Boston University use to boost memory?

3. What did the researchers ask the volunteers to wear?

4. Which two types of memory were the researchers able to boost?

答案  

1. True or false? The results of the research showed improvements in memory lasted for at least two months.
False. The results, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, showed improvements in memory lasted at least a month.

2. What knowledge did the team at Boston University use to boost memory?
The team at Boston University used the knowledge that our brain works by firing off electrical impulses to boost memory.

3. What did the researchers ask the volunteers to wear?
They asked the volunteers to wear a cap filled with electrodes.

4. Which two types of memory were the researchers able to boost?
They were able to boost long-term memory and working memory.