US researchers have identified the part of the brain that is stimulated by making wagers, which they say could be helpful in understanding and treating gambling addictions and certain mental health disorders.
In a new study led by researchers from the California Institute of Technology, people were asked to choose two cards from a deck and bet one dollar on whether the first or second card would be a higher number.
At the same time, each subject's brain activity was watched using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to show which region was stimulated by risk-taking and the anticipation of a reward.
PHOTO: AFP
The study also found a sort of gambling zone in the brain, controlled by dopamine, which also plays a role in learning and motivation.
The study could help scientists understand behaviors such as gambling addiction — as well as mental illnesses including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder — by helping them to understand which parts of the brain are not working properly.
For example, according to the researchers, when a person with bipolar disorder is experiencing the manic phase (a time when that person is extremely excited, anxious and active), he or she might take big risks because they don't understand how big the risks are. It's also possible that the person might understand the risk, and the problem is with their learning, attentional or working memory or the way their brain makes decisions. Researchers hope this study will help them understand this and other mental health issues. (AFP)
美國科學家已發現人腦中對賭博刺激會產生反應的區域,他們表示,這項發現可能有助於了解及治療賭癮和某些心理疾病。
一項由加州理工學院研究人員所帶領的新研究中,受試者被要求從一副撲克牌中選兩張牌,然後拿出一美元賭哪一張牌的數字大。
同時,研究人員利用「核磁共振造影」監測每位受試者的腦部活動,看大腦哪個區域對冒險行為和期待獎賞的刺激產生反應。
這項研究也發現,人腦中有一塊受神經傳導素多巴胺控制的賭博區,多巴胺在學習和動機方面也扮演重要角色。
藉由幫助科學家們了解大腦哪些區域運作不正常,這項研究有助於他們進一步認識賭癮這類行為及包括精神分裂、躁鬱症在內的心理疾病。
例如,據研究人員表示,處於躁期的精神分裂者(患者極度興奮、不安且活躍的時期)可能會因為錯估風險而作出非常冒險的決定。還有一種可能就是精神分裂者其實明白風險所在,只是他們的學習、注意力、工作記憶,又或者是大腦作決定的過程中出現了問題。研究人員希望這項研究能幫助他們了解這種症狀及其他心理疾病。
(法新社/翻譯:林倩如)
The strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years killed at least 16 people and damaged dozens of buildings, but the destruction was largely contained thanks to decades of preparedness work. Taiwan sits on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity along the Pacific Rim, and — much like neighboring Japan — has a long history of catastrophic quakes. How does April 3 compare with other recent quakes? The April 3 earthquake, which measured 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale, was felt across Taiwan. It was the most severe since a 7.6 magnitude quake in 1999 killed
A: Artificial intelligence technology has been causing controversy lately: a student was caught cheating with AI to win the grand prize in an art contest. B: That’s so absurd. Does this mean that AI paints better than humans? A: Maybe. Luckily, the student was later disqualified. B: And more absurdly, it’s becoming more and more popular to use AI technology to “resurrect” people. A: Yeah, some netizens even posted videos featuring the late singer CoCo Lee, who was “resurrected” by them with AI software. A: 人工智慧的爭議不斷,有學生違規使用AI參加美術展,甚至贏得首獎。 B: 真誇張,這是不是代表AI比人類還強大? A: 或許吧,幸好得獎資格被取消。 B: 還有更誇張的︰讓死者重現的「AI復活」技術越來越熱門。 A: 對啊,還有網友製作已故歌后李玟「復活」的影片呢! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
Around the time of the Dragon Boat Festival in June, the streets of Taiwan are filled with the delightful aroma of zongzi, a traditional snack made of sticky rice wrapped in leaves. The leaves are folded into a cone and then filled with sticky rice and other ingredients such as braised pork belly, peanuts and salted duck egg yolks. The filled leaves are then tightly tied with kitchen twine and ready for cooking. 每到六月端午時節,街頭巷尾就會飄出粽子的香氣。粽子是將糯米包進粽葉的傳統美食,先將粽葉折成圓錐狀塞入糯米,以及紅燒肉、花生、鹹鴨蛋黃等配料,用棉線綁緊後即可烹煮。 Dragon Boat Festival (n. phr.) 端午節 aroma
It’s another school day with the same ritual. You wake up to your smartphone’s alarm, scroll through messages during your commute, and listen to your favorite playlist with your wireless earbuds between classes. These devices, integrated smoothly into your daily routine, certainly make life more convenient. However, where do these devices end up after you replace them? In fact, the issue of electronic waste is a growing global concern. According to the United Nations, in 2019 alone, we generated an astonishing 53.6 million tons of e-waste—an average of 7.3kg per person. Projections hint at the figure soaring to 110