打游戏有助老年人集中注意力.doc

打游戏有助老年人集中注意力Videogame Improves Cognitive Ability, New Study Says打游戏有助老年人集中注意力In the future, your doctor may prescribe you a videogame.将来医生给你开的药方可能就是一款电子游戏。In a groundbreaking new study at the University of California, San Francisco, scientists found that older adults improved cognitive controls such as multitasking and the ability to sustain attention by playing a specially designed videogame - and that the effects can be long lasting.加州大学旧金山分校(University of California, San Francisco)科学家的一项突破性研究发现，通过玩专门设计的电子游戏，年龄较长的成年人改善了多重任务处理、维持注意力等认知控制能力，而且这些效果可以持续很久。The study, to be published in the scientific journal Nature on Thursday, is part of a broader effort to understand whether specially designed videogames can help treat neurological disorders, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and even depression.研究结果发表在9月5日出版的科学杂志自然(Nature)上面。它和另外一些研究一样，都是为了弄清楚专门设计的电子游戏是否有助于治疗神经障碍，比如注意力缺陷多动症，甚至是抑郁等。The new study is a powerful example of how plastic the older brain is, said Adam Gazzaley, a director of the UCSF Neuroscience Imaging Center and a co-author of the study. Mr. Gazzaley is also the co-founder and adviser of Akili Interactive Labs, a startup focused on designing these types of videogames.论文的共同作者、加州大学旧金山分校神经科学成像中心(Neuroscience Imaging Center)主任亚当加扎利(Adam Gazzaley)说，这项新的研究“有力地证明了老年人的大脑是多么有可塑性”。加扎利也是Akili Interactive Labs共同创始人兼顾问；这是一家专门设计上述类型电子游戏的初创公司。This research turns the traditional view of games on its head.这次研究彻底扭转了有关游戏的传统观点。Much of the research linking videogames to our minds has focused on its detrimental effects. There is some evidence, for instance, that playing violent games, heightens aggression in players and hurts the brains ability to process emotions.在电子游戏与人类心智之间寻找关联的研究，很大一部分都是集中在电子游戏的负面效应之上。比如有些证据表明，玩暴力游戏会加剧玩家的进攻倾向、损害大脑处理情感的能力。However, an expanding body of research is looking at the link between videogames and so-called cognitive control, or the brains information-processing functions, such as memory, attention, decision-making and creativity. According to one 2010 study, professional gamers had response times comparable to fighter jet pilots. Another recent study showed a strong correlation between videogame play and the emotional well-being of senior adults.但越来越多的研究也在考察电子游戏和“认知控制”之间的关联。认知控制(cognitive control)指大脑的信息处理功能，比如记忆、专注、决策和创造等。据2010年的一项研究表明，专业游戏玩家的反应速度堪比战斗机飞行员。前不久另一项研究也表明，玩电子游戏与老年人的情绪健康状况之间存在强烈相关性。In the UCSF report, scientists spent about a year designing NeuroRacer, a computer game in which a user navigates a race car along a winding track, while also hitting a button on a controller, whenever a green circle appears. The game is designed to challenge a persons multitasking ability - to push them to switch between distinct tasks, rapidly and accurately. As part of the study, older participants (aged 60 to 85 years) trained on the game for 12 hours over the course of the month.在加州大学旧金山分校的那篇论文里面，科学家们花了一年左右的时间设计出“神经赛车手”(NeuroRacer)这样一款电脑游戏。在这款游戏里，用户沿着弯弯曲曲的赛道开一辆赛车，同时在绿色圆圈出现的时候按下控制器上的一个按钮。游戏这样设计的目的是为了挑战人的一心多用能力逼迫他们在不同的任务之间快速而准确地切换。在这次研究中，年龄60岁到85岁的老龄参与者在一个月时间里共计练习了12个小时的游戏。The study found that after training, the older adults were able to perform at a higher level than untrained 20-year-olds and that the positive effects lasted for at least six months.研究发现，经过练习之后，这些老年人的游戏水平超过未经练习的20多岁年轻人，而且这种正面效应至少维持了六个月之久。Ann Linsley, 65, a participant in the study and a former real estate executive, says before NeuroRacer, she had difficulty focusing. At first, she found the game very frustrating but after several hours, Ms. Linsley says something snapped. The game became easier and she noticed that real life tasks were easier to manage. I feel like my brain is working better - even if it is just to drive a car in a videogame, Ms. Linsley says.65岁的参与者、前房地产公司高管安林斯利(Ann Linsley)说，在玩“神经赛车手”之前她很难集中注意力。起初她觉得这款游戏玩起来非常恼火，但据她说，几个小时过后，“某种东西活跃起来了”。游戏变得容易起来，她注意到现实生活中的事情也更容易处理。林斯利说：“感觉像大脑更好使了一样哪怕只是在游戏里面开车。”According to researchers, Ms. Linsleys improvements are rooted in the brains plasticity, or ability to mold itself, even in older age, and the apparent interconnectivity of our brains cognitive control functions.据研究人员说，林斯利的改善根源于大脑的可塑性（即塑造自己的能力，哪怕是老年人），以及人脑各项认知控制功能之间可能存在的相互关联。As we age, humans are increasingly affected by distractions and have more trouble switching between tasks. The UCSF researchers, however, theorized that this decline of cognitive control isnt fixed, and that the brain can improve with the right stimuli.在年龄变老过程中，人越来越容易走神，在不同任务之间的切换也越来越困难。但加州大学旧金山分校的研究人员们设想，认知控制功能的这种下降并非一成不变，只要刺激得当，大脑的情况是可以改善的。The idea, according to Mr. Gazzaley, was that putting pressure on the brain in one area of cognitive control - in this instance, multitasking - could create a positive halo effect, improving other aspects of cognitive control. After NeuroRacer training, the brain scans of older adults began to show activity in the prefrontal cortex- - the area most associated with cognitive control - similar to that of younger adults. They also showed improved performance in tests for memory and sustained attention.据加扎利说，他们的想法是，在大脑中一个负责认知控制（如一心多用）的区域施加压力可以产生正面晕轮效应，从而改善认知控制的其他方面。在经过“神经赛车手”训练之后，老年人的脑部扫描开始显示其前额皮质（与认知控制关联最大的区域）的活动类似于年轻人。脑部扫描还显示他们在记忆力和持续专注力测式中的成绩出现了改善。Though the research is early, the findings raise the question of whether videogames can be designed and targeted to rewire our brains to fight a range of brain disorders. One hope is that these therapies can replace or reduce the use of prescription medications or more invasive medical procedures.虽然研究还处在初步阶段，其结果已经提出了这样一个问题：电子游戏的设计可不可以有针对性地用于修复我们的大脑，从而治疗一系列的大脑障碍？但愿这些治疗可以取代或减少处方药或更具创伤性疗程的使用。A new version of NeuroRacer is being developed by Akili, which has licensed the intellectual property behind the game to create a graphically rich version. Akili is working to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration to classify its game as an ADHD treatment.Akili公司正在开发新版本的“神经赛车手”，并已授权其他公司使用游戏背后的知识产权，以开发一款视觉丰富的版本。Akili正在申请美国食品药品管理局(Food and Drug Adm