英语高级视听说下原文.docx
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英语高级视听说下原文
UNIT3APILLTOFORGET
(CBS)Ifthereweresomethingyoucouldtakeafterexperiencingapainfulortraumaticeventthatwouldpermanentlyweakenyourmemoryofwhathadjusthappened,wouldyoutakeit?
AscorrespondentLesleyStahlreports,it’sanideathatmaynotbesofaroff,andthathassomecriticsalarmed,andsometraumavictimsfilledwithhope.
"Icouldn'tgetmybodytostopshaking.Iwastrembling,constantlytrembling.Memoriesofitwouldjustcomeback,reoccurringoverandoverandover,"subwayconductorBeatrizArguedasrecalls.
LastSept.30,BeatrizwasdrivinghernormalrouteontheRedLineinBostonwhenoneofherworstfearscametopass:
"Uponenteringoneofthebusieststations,amanjumpedinfrontofmytrain,tocommitsuicide,"sheexplains.
Beatrizsawthemanjump."WesortofmadeeyecontactandthenIfeltthethudfromhimhittingthetrainandthenthecracklingsoundunderneaththetrainand,then,ofcourse,myheartstartsthumping,"sherecalls.
"Shecameintoouremergencyroomafterwards,veryupset.Nophysicalinjury.Entirelyapsychologicaltrauma,"saysDr.RogerPitman,apsychiatristatHarvardMedicalSchoolwhohasstudiedandtreatedpatientswithpost-traumaticstressdisorder,orPTSD,for25years.
"They'recaughtupsomuchwiththispasteventthatit'sconstantlyintheirmind,"Pitmanexplains."They'relivingitoverandoverandoverasifit'shappeningagain.Andtheyjustcan'tgetinvolvedinreallife."
WhenBeatrizarrivedintheemergencyroom,Pitmanenrolledherinanexperimentalstudyofadrugcalledpropranolol,amedicationcommonlyusedforhighbloodpressure...andunofficiallyforstagefright.Pitmanthoughtitmightdosomethingalmostmagical–trickBeatriz’sbrainintomakingaweakermemoryoftheeventshehadjustexperienced.
Inthestudy,whichisstillunderway,halfthesubjectsgetpropranolol;halfgetaplacebo.
AskedwhetherheknowsifBeatrizgotthedrugortheplacebo,Dr.Pitmansayshehasnoideaandneitherdoesshe,andthattheresearchteamwon'tknowforanothertwoyears.
IfPitmanisright,theresultscouldfundamentallychangethewayaccidentvictims,rapevictims,evensoldiersaretreatedaftertheyexperiencetrauma.
Thestorybeginswithsomesurprisingdiscoveriesaboutmemory.ItturnsoutourmemoriesaresortoflikeJello–theytaketimetosolidifyinourbrains.Andwhilethey'resetting,it'spossibletomakethemstrongerorweaker.Italldependsonthestresshormoneadrenaline.
ThemanwhodiscoveredthisisJamesMcGaugh,aprofessorofneurobiologyattheUniversityofCalifornia,Irvine.
McGaughstudiesmemoryinrats,andheinvitedStahltowatchthemakingofaratmemory–inthiscasehowaratwho'sneverbeeninthistankofwaterbeforelearnshowtofindaclearplasticplatformjustbelowthesurface.
"He’llswimaroundrandomly,"McGaughexplains.Theratcannotseetheplatform,sincehiseyesareonthetopofhishead.
Theratwillswimaroundtheedgeforalongtime,untileventuallyheventuresoutandbychancebumpsintotheplatform.Thenextday,he'llfindtheplatformalittlebitfaster.
Butanotherrat,whohadlearnedwheretheplatformwasthedayprior,andthenreceivedashotofadrenalineimmediatelyafterwards,todayswaminstantlytotheplatform.
Adrenalineactuallymadethisrat'sbrainrememberbetter,andMcGaughbelievesthesamethinghappensinpeople."SupposeIsaidtoyou,'Youknow,I'vewatchedyourprogramsalotovertheyears,andalthoughitpainsmetohavetotellyouthis,Ithinkyou'reoneofworstpeopleI'veeverseenon…nowdon'ttakeit,don'ttakeitpersonally,'"McGaughsays.
"So,mystresssystemwouldgointooverdrive,noquestion,"Stahlsays.
"Evenwithmytellingyouthatit'snottrue,there'snothingtokeepyoufromblushing,fromfeelingwarmallover,"McGaughpointsout."That'stheadrenaline.AndIdaresaythatyou'regonnaremembermyhavingsaidthatlongafteryou'veforgottentheotherdetailsofourdiscussionhere.Iguaranteeit."
McGaughsaysthat’swhywerememberimportantandemotionaleventsinourlivesmorethanregularday-to-dayexperiences.Thenextstepinhisresearchwastoseewhatwouldhappenwhenadrenalinewasblocked;hestartedexperimentingwithpropranolol.
"Propranololsitsonthatnervecellandblocksit,sothat,thinkofthisasbeingakey,andthisisalock,theholeinthelockisblockedbecauseofpropranololsittingthere.Soadrenalinecanbepresent,butitcan'tdoitsjob,"McGaughexplains.
McGaughshowedStahlathirdratthathadlearnedwheretheplatformwasonthepreviousdayandthenreceivedaninjectionofpropranolol.Thenextday,theratswamaroundtheedge,asifhehadforgottenthereeverwasaplatformoutthere.
AcrossthecountryatHarvard,RogerPitmanreadMcGaugh'sstudiesandalightbulbwenton."WhenIreadaboutthis,Isaid,'Thishasgottobehowpost-traumaticstressdisorderworks.'Becausethinkaboutwhathappenstoaperson.Firstofall,theyhaveahorriblytraumaticevent,andtheyhaveintensefearandhelplessness.Sothatintensefearandhelplessnessisgonnastimulateadrenaline,"Pitmansays."Andthenwhatdowefindthreemonthsorsixmonthsor20yearslater?
Excessivelystrongmemories."
Pitmanfiguredhecouldblockthatcyclebygivingtraumavictimspropranololrightaway...beforeadrenalinecouldmakethememoriestoostrong.Hestartedrecruitingpatientsforasmallpilotstudy.OneofthefirstwasKathleenLogue,aparalegalwhohadbeenknockeddowninthemiddleofabusyBostonstreetbyabicyclist.
"Hejusthitthewholeleftsideofmybody.AnditseemedlikeforeverthatIwaslayinginthemiddleofStateStreet,downtownBoston,"Logueremembers.
Shesaysshewasterrifiedthatshewasjustgoingtogetrunover.
Aspartofthestudy,Loguetookpropranololfourtimesadayfor10days.Liketheotherswhogotthedrug,threemonthslatersheshowednophysiologicalsignsofPTSD,whileseveralsubjectswhogotaplacebodid.ThoseresultsgotPitmanfundingforalargerstudybytheNationalInstitutesofHealth.
ButthenthePresident’sCouncilonBioethicscondemnedthestudyinareportthatsaidourmemoriesmakeuswhoweareandthat"re-writing"memoriespharmacologically…risks"underminingourtrueidentity."
"Thisisaquote.'Itrisksmakingshamefulactsseemlessshamefulorterribleactslessterriblethantheyreallyare,'"StahlreadstoLogue.
"Aterribleact,"shereplies."Whyshouldyouhavetolivewithiteverydayofyourlife?
Itdoesn'terasethefactthatithappened.Itdoesn'teraseyourmemoryofit.Itmakesiteasiertorememberandfunction."
DavidMagnus,directorofStanfordUniversity’sCenterforBiomedicalEthics,saysheworriesthatitwon'tbejusttraumavictimstryingtodullpainfulmemories.
"Fromthepointofviewofapharmaceuticalindustry,they'regoingtohaveeveryinterestinhavingasmanypeopleaspossiblediagnosedwiththisconditionandhaveitusedasbroadlyaspossible.That'stherealityofhowdrugsgetintroducedandutilized,"Magnusargues.
He’sconcerneditwillbeusedfortrivialreasons."IfIembarrassmyselfatapartyFridaynightandinsteadoffeelingbadaboutitIcouldtakeapillthenI'mgoingtoavoid–nothavetoavoidmakingafoolofmyselfatparties,"Magnussays.
"Soyouthinkthatthatembarrassmentandallofthatisteachingus?
"Stahlasks.
"Absolutely,"Magnussays."Ourbreakups,ourrelationships,aspainfulastheyare,welearnfromsomeofthosepainfulexperiences.Theymakeusbetterpeople."
Butwhiletheethicistsdebatetheissue,thescienceismovingforward.Researchershaveshowninratstudiesthatpropranololcanalsobluntoldmemories.
Pitmanwondered:
Coulditworkinhumans?
HeteamedupwithCanadiancolleagueAlainBrunet,whosearchedforpeoplewithlong-standingPTSD,likeRitaMagil.Shehadsufferedforthreeyearsfromnightmaresafteralife-threateningcaraccident.
AnotherstudysubjectisLouiseO'Donnell-Jasmin,whowasrapedbyadoctorattheageof12."Herapedmeonhisdesk,onachair,andonthefloor.It,forme,itwaslikeIwasdyinginside,"sheremembers."Theworldhadended."
O'Donnell-Jasminwashauntedbytherapeformorethan30years.Sheneverfeltcomfortableundressinginfrontofherhusbandandsufferedfromrecurrentflashbacksandnightmares.
Thestudywassimple:
Subjectscameinandwereaskedtothinkaboutandwritedowneverydetailtheycouldrememberabouttheirtrauma;inMagil'scase,hercaraccident,reactivatingthememoryinherbrain.Shewasthengivenpropranolol.
Ritasaysshesufferednosideeffects.
Aweeklater,electrodesmeasuredherbody’sstressresponseasshelistenedtoaretellingofhertrauma.Askedwhathappened,Magilsays,"Noreaction."
Andshesaysshehadnomorenightmares.
ThepatientwhomadethemostdramaticrecoveryturnedouttobeO'Donnell-Jasmin,butthere'sacatch,becauseshewasinacontrolgroupandthereforewasn’tsupposedtoimproveatall.
O'Donnell-Jasminwasgivenpropranolol,butunlikeMagil,shetookthedrugwhilewatchingapleasantmovie,notaftertellingeverydetailaboutherrape.Andyet,aweeklater,shenoticedachange."Iwakeup.AndIfindmyselfundressing.Andmyhusbandisthere.AndIrealizeI'mundressing,andI'mnotfeelingasthoughIneedtohideunderthebedanymore,"sheexplains.
Askedifitisgone,O'Donnell-Jasminsays,"Yes.Thelink,whatheldtheemotionstothememories,it'sliketheumbilicalcordhasbeencut.AndthereisnowayIcanaccesstheemotionsanymore.Andfurthermore,everydayitgetsbetter."
"Louisegot