A new study says one part of the human brain may become smaller as the result of a condition known as jet lag. Jet lag results from flying long distances in an airplane. People with jet lag may feel extremely tired for several days. They may also have problems thinking clearly and remembering.
Recently a researcher at the University of Bristol in Britain reported the findings of his jet lag study, which involved twenty young women who worked for international airlines. They had served passengers on airplanes for five years. These flight attendants flew across many countries and at least seven time zones. In the study, the flight attendants had different amounts of time to recover from jet lag. Half the women spent five days or fewer in their home areas between long flights. The other half spent more than fourteen days in their home areas.
The researcher took some saliva from the women”s mouths to measure levels of a hormone(荷尔蒙) that increases during stress(紧张). He tested them to see if they could remember where black spots appeared on a computer screen. And he took pictures of their brains to measure the size of the brain”s temporal lobes(脑叶).
It was found that the women who had less time between flights had smaller right temporal lobes. This area of the brain deals with recognizing and remembering what is seen. The same group performed worse and had slower reaction times on the visual memory test. And their saliva samples showed higher levels of stress hormones.
The researcher believes the brain needs at least ten days to recover after a long trip. He says airline workers told him their ability to remember got worse after working on planes for about four years. Other studies have shown that increased feelings of stress can cause a loss of cells in the part of the brain that controls memory.
Scientists say more tests are needed to study the effects of jet lag on the brain. They want to find out if too much jet lag could permanently (永久性的) affect memory.
小题1:According to the text, jet lag .
- can cause difficulties in speaking
- can make people feel tired for a few weeks
- can be only found in flight attendants
- can be caused by flying over several time zones
小题2:It can be inferred from the text that .
- the conclusion is refused by many scientists
- scientists fear that this research is not done properly
- the scientific conclusion needs the support from many tests
- every women who were examined in the research were mot healthy
小题3:From the result of the research we can see that .
- the women who have longer rest at home show better memory
- the women who fly in short time have smaller right temporal lobes
- the women who have longer flights fail the memory test
- the women who rest more than 14 days produce less hormones
小题4:What is the subject discussed in the text?
- The cause of jet lag.
- A story of a group of flight attendants.
- The importance of having enough rest after flights.
- A research about the effects of jet lag on the brain.
