时差N小时 大脑是静止的还是变化的?(下)（在线收听）

In any case, in a recent experiment, scientists working with mice shut down their brains' ability to make new cells.

不管怎样，在最近的一次实验中，科学家们用老鼠进行实验，他们消除了这些老鼠们大脑生成新细胞的能力。

At first, the researchers observed that the mice had reduced functioning in cellular mechanismsin the brain important for memory formation.

起初，研究人员观测到，老鼠大脑中对记忆生成非常重要的细胞机制的功能降低了。

But after about six weeks, they noticed that the mice's brains had begun to compensate by making existing neurons more active.

但是大约六周之后他们又发现，老鼠的大脑通过使现有的神经元变得更加活跃从而弥补之前的损失。

Relatively newborn neurons created before the researchers shut down the neuron birthing process reacted by living longer than they normally would-

相对地，在研究人员阻止神经元生成之前生成的神经元比一般生成的存活更长—

almost as though they knew that replacements would not be forthcoming and so they had to work overtime to help the brain get back on course.

就好像它们知道自己不会被很快代替，所以它们必须延时工作来帮助大脑回到正轨上。

This research is of the most basic, foundational kind.

这项研究是最为基础的研究。

But knowing more about how the brain responds to changes could eventually have profound implications for how doctors understand and treat Alzheimer's, dementia, and other brain illnesses.

但是，对大脑是如何变化的了解越多，就会对医生了解与治疗老年痴呆症、痴呆和其它大脑疾病产生更为深远的意义。