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Is There A Connection Between The Brain And The Gut?
在大脑和内脏之间有联系吗？
Most people realize there is a brain gut connection. Nervous tension can aggravate irritable bowel syndrome and common dyspepsia, or stomach upset.
大多数人都意识到大脑和内脏有联系。神经紧张会加重肠道易激综合症和常见的消化不良，或者肠胃不适。
If the brain can upset the gut, can the gut upset the brain?
如果大脑会扰乱内脏，那内脏会扰乱大脑吗？
Scientists studying depression in rats think that it can.
在研究患抑郁症老鼠的科学家们认为这是可以的。
About twenty million Americans are diagnosed with depression each year, and medical specialists believe about ten percent of the population is affected by the disease. Antidepressants are popular, but they only work for thirty five to forty five percent of patients. So, new and innovative ways to deal with the disease are being explored.
每年大约有两千万的美国人被诊断为抑郁症，内科专家认为大约十分之一的人口受到疾病的影响。抗抑郁药非常受欢迎，但是它们只对35%到45%的病人有效。因此，新的有创意的治疗疾病的办法有待于探索。
Depressed people often have gut problems, but many assume this is because hormones are released because of the depression. To determine if that is always the case, researchers tested rats to see which came first, the depression, or the gut upset.
抑郁症患者经常存在内脏的问题，但是许多人认为这是由于抑郁引起内分泌释放导致的。为了判断是否常常如此，研究人员用老鼠做实验，调查是抑郁还是内脏不适先出现。
A group of ten day old male rats were given a mild stomach irritant for six days. Others received no treatment. They were then tested at eight to ten weeks of age with water swimming challenges, and mazes. Scientists measured their responses and measured levels of stress hormones.
一群十天大的雄鼠的胃被持续轻度刺激六天。其它老鼠正常生长。然后它们在八到十个星期大的时候，检测它们面对在水中游泳的挑战和困境。科学家测量它们的反应和应激激素。
They found that the rats receiving the stomach irritation weeks before were more depressed than the untreated rats. Even when researchers prevented the irritant from sending pain signal to the brain, the depression occurred.
他们发现那些胃受到刺激的老鼠比没有受到的更加抑郁。甚至当研究人员阻止刺激发送疼痛信号到大脑，抑郁症出现了。
Rats are not humans, and depression is often inherited, but this research gives scientist a new avenue to follow in depression treatment. The vagus nerve connects the gut to the brain. Stimulating the nerve has been used to treat depression, epilepsy, and help memory in humans and animals. That connection may hold the secret to new treatment regimes and prevention of the disease.
老鼠不是人类，抑郁常常是遗传的，但是这个研究给科学家在治愈抑郁症很好的启示。交感神经连接内脏和大脑。刺激神经曾用来治愈抑郁症，癫痫症，帮助人类和动物记忆。这种联系正是新的治疗制度和抵御疾病的秘密所在。
