研究表明强大爆炸会改变士兵的大脑结构

Explosions Change Soldiers’ Brains, Study Says 研究表明强大爆炸会改变士兵的大脑结构

Scientists have been studying the effect of explosions on soldiers’ brains since World War I. Some military veterans who survived powerful explosions may become violent or experience depression. It may be difficult for the former soldiers to concentrate on what they are doing. Their feelings may change quickly -- from happy to sad or even angry.

Now, researchers have found that the soldiers’ brains suffered physical damage, like people who die in transportation accidents or from a drug overdose.

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine examined the brains of former soldiers who had died. These veterans had been injured in a battlefield explosion, but it was not what caused their death.

The researchers discovered evidence that nerve fibers¹ in the front of the brain had been damaged. Professor Vassili Koliatsos led the study. He says the discovery explains why the veterans had a condition known as ‘shell shock.’

“And that’s very important because this is the site – this is the center of the executive functions of the brain, functions that allow you to put your life together, organize, plan ahead, understand, abstract. And you can imagine that this can make your life difficult.”

Professor Koliatsos says the physical damage was often found near blood vessels² inside the skull³. He says this suggests that the force of the explosion pushed blood from the chest into the brain. This caused the brain to quickly swell⁴ or become enlarged. He says when the brain swells⁵, it pushes against the skull.

The professor says that, as a result of the study’s findings, doctors may decide to give different medicines to veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder⁶. And he says the findings may cause military officials to find ways to better-protect a soldier’s chest.

Words in This Story

concentrate – v. to think about something; to give your attention to the thing you are doing or reading

overdose – n. an amount of a drug or medicine that is too much and usually dangerous

executive functions – n. also known as cognitive⁷ control; the management memory, reasoning, task flexibility⁸ and problem solving, as well as planning and execution.

abstract – v. to deal with general ideas or qualities rather than specific people, objects or actions

skull – n. the bony structure that forms the head

swell – v. to become larger than normal; to enlarge

1 fibers   

光纤( fiber的名词复数 )； （织物的）质地； 纤维，纤维物质

参考例句：

• Thesolution of collagen-PVA was wet spined with the sodium sulfate as coagulant and collagen-PVA composite fibers were prepared. 在此基础上，以硫酸钠为凝固剂，对胶原-PVA共混溶液进行湿法纺丝，制备了胶原-PVA复合纤维。
• Sympathetic fibers are distributed to all regions of the heart. 交感神经纤维分布于心脏的所有部分。

2 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

4 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

5 swells   

增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）

参考例句：

• The waters were heaving up in great swells. 河水正在急剧上升。
• A barrel swells in the middle. 水桶中部隆起。

6 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

7 cognitive   

adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的

参考例句：

• As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
• The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。

8 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。