Study ties brain structure size to socializing
纽约报道--你是不是常和大帮朋友扎堆快活 ?真是这样的话,那意味着你大脑中的某个部分比常人更大。
NEW YORK - Do you spend time with a lot of friends? That might mean a particular part of your brain is larger than usual.
这个部分就是扁桃体状结构,它位于大脑深处。在对58名志愿者进行大脑扫描后的初步研究表明该部分越大的志愿者其朋友和亲属也越多。
It's the amygdala, which lies deep inside. Brain scans of 58 volunteers in a preliminary study indicated that the bigger the amygdala, the more friends and family the volunteers reported seeing regularly.
研究报告发表在周六的《自然神经系统科学》杂志网络版上,其作者Lisa Feldman Barrett认为研究结果很有意义,因为扁桃体状结构是大脑网络的中心,而大脑网络主导了人的社交能力。
That makes sense because the amygdala is at the center of a brain network that's important for socializing, says Lisa Feldman Barrett, an author of the work published online Sunday by the journal Nature Neuroscience.
波士顿东北大学的Barrett举例说,大脑网络有助于我们识别某人是陌生人还是熟人,是朋友还是敌人。
For example, the network helps us recognize whether somebody is a stranger or an acquaintance, and a friend or a foe, said Barrett, of Northeastern University in Boston.
但究竟是较大的扁桃体结构让我们拥有了更多的朋友,还是与更多朋友的交往促成了更大的扁桃体结构?研究未能解决这一问题,但是Barrett说有可能两者相辅相成。
But does having a bigger amygdala lead to more friends, or does socializing with a lot of friends create a bigger amygdala? The study can't sort that out. But Barrett said it might be a bit of both.
她说这一研究必须进一步进行。
She said her study now must be replicated by further research.
Barrett说该研究活动由联邦政府资助,其目的在于揭示一些基本知识而非产生即时的实际效益,但有可能在将来帮助人们保持积极的社交生活。
The work, supported by the federal government, was aimed at uncovering basic knowledge rather than producing any immediate practical payoff, she said. But it might someday lead to ways to help people maintain active social lives, she said.
人的大脑左右两侧各有一个扁桃体状结构,研究结果对两者均适用。
People have one amygdala in the left half of the brain and another in the right half. The findings of the new study held true for each one.
洛杉矶加利福尼亚大学的脑电图专家Arthur Toga 虽未参与此项研究,但他对此极力赞扬,认为研究结果很有说服力。他说“将大脑结构与人类行为相联系的思路很有趣,也很有意义。”