科學家們發現，通過對大腦部分區域進行無創刺激，可增強人們的記憶力，效果至少能維持一個月。專家發現，參與實驗的志愿者接受電流刺激后，在單詞記憶任務中表現得更好，這些任務測試了即時 “工作” 記憶和長期記憶。

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

我們的大腦通過發送電脈沖來工作。美國波士頓大學的研究團隊就利用了這一原理來提高人們的記憶力。

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，對大腦進行每次20分鐘的無創刺激。實驗連續進行了四天，然后測試了志愿者們記憶一組單詞的能力。測試的結果發表在《自然-神經科學》期刊上，志愿者們記憶力改善的效果至少維持了一個月。

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期記憶，就是幫助我們記得第一天上學時的情景的記憶，同時還改善了工作記憶，就是用于記住此時此刻發生的事情的記憶，比如馬上要乘坐火車的站臺號。

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技術能否用于治療患病時腦細胞已開始萎縮的阿爾茨海默病，以及精神分裂癥和強迫癥。

詞匯表

firing off 發射，發送
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 長期記憶
the here and now 此時此刻，當前
brain cells 腦細胞
schizophrenia 精神分裂癥
obsessive-compulsive disorder 強迫癥

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

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.