新闻周刊:关于焦虑的新认识(4)

In the 1990s, researchers identified a tiny structure that played a key role in how rodents¹ dealt with "ambiguous threats"—ones that didn't place them in immediate² danger. Called the Bed Nucleus³ of the Stria Terminalis (BNST), it was about the size of a sunflower seed and located near the amygdala. While the amygdala appears to be the brain area primarily involved in activating⁴ the fight-or-flight response, the BNST kicks in when we have reason to remain hypervigilant—that hormone-driven state of hyperarousal we feel in our bodies when we are tense in the face of uncertainty⁵.

在20世纪90年代，研究人员发现了一种微小的结构，这种结构在啮齿动物如何应对“模糊威胁”方面发挥了关键作用。它被称为终纹床核，大小与葵花籽相仿，位于杏仁核附近。虽然杏仁核似乎是大脑中主要参与激活“战或逃”反应的区域，但当我们有理由保持高度警惕时，终纹床核就会发挥作用——当我们面对不确定性时感到紧张时，我们的身体会感受到激素驱动的高度兴奋状态。

"What the amygdala is to fear, the BNST is to anxiety,"

“杏仁核对恐惧的作用，类似于终纹床核对于焦虑的作用，”

In a neuroimaging lab at the University of Louisville, Brendan E. Depue, a psychology⁶ professor, has shown how these findings in rodents manifest in humans. Placing students one by one in an fMRI machine, Depue simulated fear conditions by showing subjects images of fearful faces and playing them sounds of human screams. To simulate ambiguous threats, he simply projected a blank screen and informed subjects that a scream or fearful face could occur at any time, but the subject might also at any time be shown a neutral face and hear indistinct coffee shop chatter⁷ instead. Under these conditions, the amygdala consistently activated⁸ when the screams and scared faces appeared and the BNST was more engaged with the ambiguous threats.

在路易斯维尔大学的一个神经成像实验室里，心理学教授布兰登·E.赛义德展示了这些在啮齿动物身上的结论是如何在人类身上体现出来的。在功能磁共振成像仪中，研究人员让学生们一个接一个地观看，通过向他们展示恐惧面孔的图像，并播放人类尖叫的声音，来模拟恐惧状况。为了模拟模糊的威胁，他简单地投射出一个空白屏幕，并告知实验对象在任何时候都可能出现尖叫或恐惧的表情，但受试者也可能在任何时候看到一张中性的脸，而听到模糊的咖啡店聊天声。在这些条件下，当尖叫和恐惧的面孔出现时，杏仁核持续激活，而终纹床核则更专注于模糊的威胁。

"Mostly people who complain, or go into counseling, or seek therapy are really not there for a reaction to a fear stimulus," Depue says. "They're there because they're tormented⁹ by anticipation¹⁰ of an unpredictable event. It's just in their mind. It causes them to develop a chronic¹¹ and maladaptive vigilance to the environment. We think that can be attributed more to the BNST than the amygdala."

“大多数人抱怨，或去咨询，或寻求治疗，并不是为了对恐惧刺激的反应，” 赛义德表示。“他们在那里是因为他们被不可预知事件的预期所折磨。这只是他们的想法。它使他们对环境产生慢性和不适应的警觉。我们认为终纹床核比杏仁核更能解释这一现象。”

1 rodents   

n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 啮齿目动物传播疾病，常被当作害虫对待。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生啮齿动物也是储毒者。 来自辞典例句

2 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

3 nucleus   

n.核，核心，原子核

参考例句：

• These young people formed the nucleus of the club.这些年轻人成了俱乐部的核心。
• These councils would form the nucleus of a future regime.这些委员会将成为一个未来政权的核心。

4 activating   

活动的，活性的

参考例句：

• "I didn't say we'd got to stop activating the masses! “我并没说就此不发动！ 来自子夜部分
• Presumably both the very small size and activating influence of fluorine atoms contribute to this exception. 这大概是由于氟原子半径小和活性高这两个原因的影响，氟原子对这种例外做出了贡献。

5 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

6 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

7 chatter   

vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战

参考例句：

• Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
• I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。

8 activated   

adj. 激活的 动词activate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The canister is filled with activated charcoal.蒸气回收罐中充满了活性炭。

9 tormented   

饱受折磨的

参考例句：

• The knowledge of his guilt tormented him. 知道了自己的罪责使他非常痛苦。
• He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. 他彻夜未眠，深受嫉妒的折磨。

10 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

11 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。