別“傻坐”着了！久坐會讓人變傻變癡呆

Sitting at your desk All day or on your sofa watching TV could make you stupid, scientists have suggested.
科學家指出，終日坐在桌前或者坐在沙發上看電視會讓你變傻。

Researchers have discovered those with a sedentary lifestyle have a smaller brain region important in forming memories.
研究人員發現，那些習慣久坐的人的大腦中負責形成記憶的區域更小。

The study, by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles, adds to a growing list about the dangers of sitting for too long.
長期久坐的危害有很多，洛杉磯加利福尼亞大學的研究人員開展的這項研究又揭示了久坐的一個新危害。

久坐的危害有多少？如果你沒聽說過或已經忘記，你有必要看看科學家的一系列研究結果。

首先，久坐可致命。研究發現，長時間坐着的人死亡率更高，無論他們是否從事身體鍛鍊。

其次，久坐會致病，包括心臟病、癌症等。

第三，久坐還會讓你早衰。長時間坐着會縮短端粒——染色體末端的保護帽，讓你的DNA提早衰老。

An array of evidence has already linked the bad habit to heart disease, diabetes, several forms of cancer and an early death in recent years.
近些年有大量證據顯示，久坐這一壞習慣和心臟病、糖尿病、幾種癌症和早逝有關。

But the new research, derived from 35 participants, suggests sitting for too long could even boost the risk of dementia.
新研究調查了35名參與者，結果顯示，久坐甚至會增加患老年癡呆症的風險。

Those with the lazy lifestyles had less grey matter in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) - even if they went for regular brisk walks, cycle rides or jogs.
經常久坐不動的人即使定期快走、騎車或慢跑，大腦內側顳葉的灰色神經組織也比不久坐的人更少。

A decline in this area has repeatedly been shown to be an early warning sign of Alzheimer's disease in middle-aged and elderly patients.
中老年人大腦內側顳葉的萎縮已被反覆證實是患上老年癡呆症的早期跡象。

The study, published in PLOS ONE, quizzed the volunteers, who were aged between 45 and 75, about their levels of exercise.
這項發表在《公共科學圖書館·綜合》期刊上的研究對年齡在45歲到75歲之間的志願者就其鍛鍊水平進行了問卷調查。

Each person underwent a high-resolution MRI scan which provides a detailed look at the MTL, an area involved in the formation of new memories.
每個人都接受了高分辨率核磁共振成像掃描，研究人員還仔細查看了他們的大腦內側顳葉——負責形成新記憶的區域。

The researchers, led by biostatistician Dr Prabha Siddarth, found that sedentary people had a thinner MTL.
生物統計學家普拉布哈·西達斯博士領頭的研究團隊發現，久坐的人大腦內側顳葉更薄。

Dr Siddarth and colleagues revealed how this finding remained true - even when volunteers had high levels of physical activity.
西達斯博士和他的同事指出，即使志願者運動量大，這一結果也不會改變。

The researchers warned that the study 'does not prove too much sitting causes thinner brain structures'.
研究人員警告說，該研究“沒有證明久坐會導致大腦內側顳葉變薄”。

However, they were keen to add the research does prove 'that more hours spent sitting are associated with thinner regions'.
但是，他們馬上補充道，研究確實證明“久坐和大腦內側顳葉變薄有關”。

The researchers wrote: 'MTL thinning can be a precursor to cognitive decline and dementia in middle aged and older adults.
研究人員寫道：“大腦內側顳葉變薄預示着認知能力的下降和中老年癡呆。”

'Reducing sedentary behaviour may be a possible target for interventions designed to improve brain health in people at risk for Alzheimer's disease.'
“減少久坐時間也許是一個可以幫助老年癡呆風險人羣改善大腦健康的目標介入手段。”

The scientists, who were part funded by the US government, now plan to follow up the preliminary findings on a larger trial group.
現在科學家計劃在初步研究結果基礎上繼續開展這項研究，擴大試驗範圍。這項研究的資金部分來源於美國政府。

This will help determine if sitting causes the thinning and what precise role gender, race and weight may play, they said.
他們表示，這將有助於確定久坐是否導致大腦內側顳葉變薄，以及性別、種族和體重有無影響。

Previous research shows physical activity correlates with higher volume in the hippocampus, a small, memory-critical region deep within the brain.
先前的研究顯示，身體活動與更大的海馬體有關，海馬體是大腦深處和記憶密切相關的一小塊區域。

The temporal lobes are on either side of the brain, near the temples. They deal with memory, including recognition of faces and objects, and language.
大腦兩側臨近太陽穴的顳葉掌管着記憶，包括對臉、物體和語言的辨識。

The Alzheimer's Society said: 'Our day-to-day memory of personal experiences, known as episodic memory, is very closely linked to the hippocampus.'
阿爾茨海默氏病協會表示：“我們每日關於個人經歷的記憶叫作情景記憶，和海馬體的關係十分緊密。”

They added that this is 'inside the temporal lobe on each side of the brain'.
他們補充說，這部分記憶就儲存在“大腦兩側的顳葉之內”。

'The outer part of each temporal lobe is where we store general knowledge, which is a different type of memory known as semantic memory,' a spokesperson said.
該協會的一名發言人說：“每側顳葉的外圍部分就是我們儲存常識的地方，這是另一種記憶，名爲語義記憶。”

'The left temporal lobe usually deals with facts, the meanings of words and the names of objects. This lobe is central to understanding speech and talking.
“左側的顳葉通常儲存事實、詞語的意思和物體的名字。這一側顳葉對於理解言語和談話至關重要。”

'The right temporal lobe usually deals with visual material. This lobe is central to recognising familiar objects and faces. '
“右側的顳葉通常掌管視覺信息。這一側顳葉對於辨識熟悉的物體和臉很關鍵。”