第2643期:How the Brain Cleans Itself(1)

A rare look inside the human brain might help to explain how it clears away waste. Scientists say the failure to clear away such waste can lead to Alzheimer’s disease and other brain disorders. 人脑内部的罕见外观可能有助于解释它如何清除废物。 科学家说，未能清除这种废物会导致阿尔茨海默氏病和其他脑部疾病。 Brain cells use a lot of nutrients. This means they produce a lot of waste. Scientists believe the brain has special structures to take out this “cellular trash,” especially during sleep. They have reported observing this process happening in mice. But they had no clear evidence that this happens in humans.脑细胞使用大量营养。 这意味着它们会产生很多浪费。 科学家认为大脑具有特殊的结构，可以消除这种“细胞垃圾”，尤其是在睡眠期间。 他们报告说观察到小鼠发生的这一过程。 但是他们没有明确的证据表明这发生在人类中。 Recently published research appears to have identified a system, or network, of very small waste-clearing channels in the brains of living humans. The researchers used a special kind of imaging technology to study the network. 最近发表的研究似乎已经确定了活着的人类大脑中非常小的废物清除渠道的系统或网络。 研究人员使用一种特殊的成像技术来研究网络。 One of the researchers was Dr. Juan Piantino of Oregon Health & Science University. Piantino said the new research was important evidence. “We needed this piece to say this happens in humans, too,” he said. 研究人员之一是俄勒冈州健康与科学大学的胡安·皮安蒂诺（Juan Piantino）博士。 Piantino说，这项新研究是重要的证据。 他说：“我们需要这件作品也可以说这在人类中也会发生。” His team recently published its findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 他的团队最近在美国国家科学院会议录中发表了研究结果。 The brain is very active during sleep. During sleeping hours, the brain appears to clean itself. 大脑在睡眠期间非常活跃。 在睡眠时间里，大脑似乎会自身清洁。 That idea has gotten the attention of researchers. Losing a good night’s sleep can cause people’s thinking to be unclear. But a continuous lack of sleep is believed to increase the risk of the brain disorder dementia. 这个想法引起了研究人员的关注。 失去晚安的睡眠可能会导致人们的想法不清楚。 但是据信持续缺乏睡眠会增加脑部疾病痴呆症的风险。 How does the brain clean itself? 大脑如何清洁自己？ Over 12 years ago, scientists at the University of Rochester first reported finding a network they named the “glymphatic system.” Fluid from the brain, called cerebrospinal fluid, travels through channels surrounding blood vessels to carry waste out of the brain. 12年前，罗切斯特大学的科学家首先报道了一个网络，他们将其命名为“ Glymphatic System”。 来自大脑的液体（称为脑脊液）通过周围的血管周围的通道行驶，以将废物从大脑中带走。