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VOA慢速英语2019--医生通过大脑治疗药物成瘾

时间:2019-05-17 23:58:32

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(单词翻译)

Doctors Operate on the Brain to Treat Drug Addiction1

Patient Number One is a thin man with all the hair removed from his head.

Years of drug use cost him his wife, his money and his self-respect.

Now, he meets with a surgeon who will operate on him in 72 hours. The doctor plans to cut two small holes in the man’s head and connect electrodes to his brain.

Doctors have long used the treatment, known as deep brain stimulation2, or DBS, for movement disorders4 like Parkinson’s disease. Now, they are performing the first clinical trial of DBS for methamphetamine addiction at the Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai, China.

Patient Number One was the first patient in the study.

The surgeon plans to implant5 a device that acts like a pacemaker for the brain. It electrically stimulates7 targeted areas.

Researchers in Europe have struggled to get patients for their DBS addiction studies. In the United States, complex social and scientific questions have made it hard to move forward with studies of the treatment.

Eight registered DBS clinical trials for drug addiction are taking place around the world. Six of those are in China. That information comes from the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Patient Number One, whose last name is Yan, said doctors told him the surgery was not dangerous. “But I still get nervous,” he said. “It’s my first time to go on the operating table.”

Treating Addiction in China

Before brain implants8, there was brain lesioning. In China, families of heroin9 users paid doctors thousands of dollars to destroy small masses of brain tissue. Many patients had side effects, including emotional disorders and lost memories.

In 2004, China’s Ministry10 of Health ordered a stop to the use of brain lesioning.

DBS builds on that history. But unlike lesioning, which kills brain cells, DBS devices offer a treatment that is, at least in theory, reversible.

In China, DBS devices can cost less than $25,000. Many patients pay with money they have saved up.

Li Dianyou is Yan’s surgeon. “You can rest assured for the safety of this operation,” he told Yan. “It is no problem. When it comes to effectiveness, you are not the first one, nor the last one. You can take it easy because we have done this a lot.”

In fact, there are risks.

Yan could suffer brain damage. He could have had changes to his personality; he could have developed seizures11. He may have even gone right back to drugs.

DBS in the US

Critics believe the surgery should not be permitted. They argue that these experiments fail to deal directly with the issues that drive addiction.

Scientists do not fully12 understand how DBS works. They still debate where they should place electrodes to treat addiction.

Two U.S. clinical trials on DBS for depression failed around five years ago. At least two U.S. laboratories dropped clinical trials of DBS for treating alcoholism over concerns about study design. The partial results did not seem to justify13 the risks, researchers told the Associated Press.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that over 500,000 Americans died of drug overdoses between 2008 and 2017. That is more than the total number of U.S. soldiers who died in World War II and Vietnam combined.

In February, the Food and Drug Administration approved a small trial of DBS for opioid use disorder3.

The FDA did not comment on the action.

“People are dying,” said Ali Rezai, the leader of the study at West Virginia University’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute on Drug Abuse. “Their lives are devastated14. It’s a brain issue. We need to explore all options.”

Nader Pouratian is a neurosurgeon at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is investigating the use of DBS for chronic15 pain. Pouratian said it is an “appropriate time” to research DBS for drug addiction, but only “if we can move forward in ethical16, well-informed, well-designed studies.”

What is this machine doing inside my head?

Yan, Patient Number One, had his surgery about six months ago. He was awake when the doctor used a drill to cut through his skull17. The noise made him shake.

Later the same day, he was given drugs so he could sleep through a second operation. Doctors implanted a battery pack in his chest to power the electrodes in his skull.

Hours after, Yan still had not woken up from the anesthesia. His father began crying. Doctors wondered if his drug use had changed how his body reacted to anesthesia.

Finally, 10 hours later, Yan opened his eyes.

Two days after the surgery, doctors turned on his DBS device.

When the device turned on, he felt energized18. He stayed awake that night; he said he spent the whole night thinking about drugs.

The next day, Doctor Li used a tablet computer to adjust the machine connected to Yan’s head.

?The doctor asked how Yan felt. “Agitated,” Yan said.

Li made a few changes. “Any feelings now?” he asked.

“Pretty happy now,” Yan said.

Yan notes that he felt the changes the machine made. “It controls your happiness, anger, grief and joy,” he said.

Six months later, Yan said he is still off drugs. His skin has improved and he has gained some weight.

Sometimes, in his new life, Yan touches the hard cable wiring in his neck. It leads from the battery pack to the electrodes in his brain. And he wonders: What is the machine doing inside my head?

I'm John Russell.

And I’m Alice Bryant.

Words in This Story

electrode – n. a point through which electricity flows into or out of a battery or other device

addiction – n. the condition of growing dependent on something

pacemaker – n. a machine for activating19 or controlling the heartbeat

stimulate6 – v. to produce activity or greater activity

alcoholism – n. a medical condition in which someone drinks too much alcohol and becomes unable to live a normal and healthy life

opioid – n. opioids are a class of drugs that include opium20, heroin, and synthetic21 drugs such as fentanyl

ethical – adj. involving questions of right and wrong behavior

drill – n. a tool used for making holes in hard substances

battery – n. a container with one or more cells in which chemical energy is made into electricity and used to make power

adjust – v. to change


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 addiction JyEzS     
n.上瘾入迷,嗜好
参考例句:
  • He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
  • Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。
2 stimulation BuIwL     
n.刺激,激励,鼓舞
参考例句:
  • The playgroup provides plenty of stimulation for the children.幼儿游戏组给孩子很多启发。
  • You don't get any intellectual stimulation in this job.你不能从这份工作中获得任何智力启发。
3 disorder Et1x4     
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。
4 disorders 6e49dcafe3638183c823d3aa5b12b010     
n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 );凌乱;骚乱;(身心、机能)失调
参考例句:
  • Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告,厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 implant YaBxT     
vt.注入,植入,灌输
参考例句:
  • A good teacher should implant high ideals in children.好教师应该把高尚理想灌输给孩子们。
  • The operation to implant the artificial heart took two hours.人工心脏植入手术花费了两小时。
6 stimulate wuSwL     
vt.刺激,使兴奋;激励,使…振奋
参考例句:
  • Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
  • Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。
7 stimulates 7384b1562fa5973e17b0984305c09f3e     
v.刺激( stimulate的第三人称单数 );激励;使兴奋;起兴奋作用,起刺激作用,起促进作用
参考例句:
  • Exercise stimulates the body. 运动促进身体健康。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Alcohol stimulates the action of the heart. 酒刺激心脏的活动。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
8 implants c10b91e33a66c4b5cba3b091fcdfe0ac     
n.(植入身体中的)移植物( implant的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Hormone implants are used as growth boosters. 激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Perhaps the most far-reaching project is an initiative called Living Implants From Engineering (LIFE). 也许最具深远意义的项目,是刚刚启动的建造活体移植工程 (LIFE)。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命
9 heroin IrSzHX     
n.海洛因
参考例句:
  • Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
  • Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。
10 ministry kD5x2     
n.(政府的)部;牧师
参考例句:
  • They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
  • We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。
11 seizures d68658a6ccfd246a0e750fdc12689d94     
n.起获( seizure的名词复数 );没收;充公;起获的赃物
参考例句:
  • Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因,有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句
12 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
13 justify j3DxR     
vt.证明…正当(或有理),为…辩护
参考例句:
  • He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
  • Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗?
14 devastated eb3801a3063ef8b9664b1b4d1f6aaada     
v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词);摧毁;毁灭;在感情上(精神上、财务上等)压垮adj.毁坏的;极为震惊的
参考例句:
  • The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
  • His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。
15 chronic BO9zl     
adj.(疾病)长期未愈的,慢性的;极坏的
参考例句:
  • Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
  • Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。
16 ethical diIz4     
adj.伦理的,道德的,合乎道德的
参考例句:
  • It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
  • It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。
17 skull CETyO     
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。
18 energized bb204e54f08e556db01b90c79563076e     
v.给予…精力,能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 );使通电
参考例句:
  • We are energized by love if we put our energy into loving. 如果我们付出能量去表现爱意,爱就会使我们充满活力。 来自辞典例句
  • I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我充满了活力,感觉非常好。 来自辞典例句
19 activating 948eea612456562bf255d3a9c59c40a3     
活动的,活性的
参考例句:
  • "I didn't say we'd got to stop activating the masses! “我并没说就此不发动! 来自子夜部分
  • Presumably both the very small size and activating influence of fluorine atoms contribute to this exception. 这大概是由于氟原子半径小和活性高这两个原因的影响,氟原子对这种例外做出了贡献。
20 opium c40zw     
n.鸦片;adj.鸦片的
参考例句:
  • That man gave her a dose of opium.那男人给了她一剂鸦片。
  • Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。
21 synthetic zHtzY     
adj.合成的,人工的;综合的;n.人工制品
参考例句:
  • We felt the salesman's synthetic friendliness.我们感觉到那位销售员的虚情假意。
  • It's a synthetic diamond.这是人造钻石。

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