新托福阅读材料 The Prefrontal Cortex with Age.doc

　　新托福阅读材料 The Prefrontal Cortex with Age 　　在托福阅读备考中，首先要阅读大量的材料才能提高自己的阅读能力，因此小编为大家汇总一精华资料新托福阅读材料之Women happiest at 28，大家在备考时多积累阅读素材，有助于托福阅读成绩的提升，希望大家都能取得理想的托福考试成绩。 　　老年痴呆症困扰着全球众多老年人和他们的家人。而如何能预防这个可怕的疾病呢?今天的新托福阅读材料就来讨论这个话题。 　　The prefrontal cortex is the region of the brain located just behind the forehead, where higher-level cognition occurs, such as recalling whether a word was heard aloud or read. Most people show evidence of more processing on one side of the cortex, the right side. However, research has shown that many elderly people use both hemispheres more equally, thus processing bilaterally. 　　This discovery led to two opposing theories as to why. One theory supposes that this change in the prefrontal cortex is part of the general decline of the body, that bilateral processing is evidence of malfunctioning. The other theory supposes that enlisting the help of the other hemisphere of the prefrontal cortex is a way to compensate for reduced capacity in the more active hemisphere; that is, the brain is making up for its own failings. 　　Scientists conducted a range of cognitive tests with older adults in their 60’s and 70’s. Then chose two smaller groups from those subjects–those who performed high on the tests, and those who performed low. The scientists then administered two of the same tests to the two groups of older adults, as well as to a group of young adults between the ages of 20 and 35 while the subjects’ brains were PET scanned. What they found was that the high-performing older adults showed significantly more use of bilateral processing than did anyone else. 　　The research supports the theory that bilateral processing is a way to compensate for reduced capacity of the right hemisphere with age. Further research may examine how training individuals or using drugs to enhance bilateral processing affects diseases such as Alzheimer’s. 　　前额皮质位于前额之后区域，作用于高级认知，比如回忆是否听过或读过某个单词。大多数人右侧大脑皮层更发达。而研究显示，一些老年人均衡使用左右脑，因此左右脑相当。 　　产生了两种截然不同理论来解释这一发现。一种理论是这种改变是因为整体机能衰退