时差N小时 为什么我们需要睡眠?(下)（在线收听）

More specifically, the study found that sleep sort of changes the brain's cellular structure.

更确切的说，该研究发现睡眠在某种程度上改变了大脑的细胞结构。

When the mice were asleep or anesthetized, the researchers found that there was more space between their brain cells,

当老鼠处于睡眠状态或被麻醉时，研究人员发现，他们大脑细胞之间的空间增大了，

allowing a sort of brain plumbing apparatus called the glymphatic system to open wide and allow fluid to flow quickly through the brain.

使被称为脑部类淋巴系统的类似排污管道的器官大大的打开，这样脑脊液就能在大脑中快速的流动。

Other studies have shown that toxic molecules build up in the space between brain cells.

其他的研究表明，有毒分子在脑细胞的间隙中生成。

Researchers at the University of Rochester found that those molecules vanished faster from the brain when the mice were asleep.

罗切斯特大学的研究人员发现，这些分子在老鼠睡觉时从大脑中消失得更快。

So what does this mean?

所以，这意味着什么呢?

Well, it could give scientists new ways to study and potentially treat brain disorders like Alzheimer's by targeting the glymphatic system and helping it better flush away brain toxins.

这意味着通过针对脑部类淋巴系统可以帮助大脑更好的排除脑部毒素，使科学家们有新的方法研究并很有可能治好像老年痴呆症这样的大脑疾病。