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By mapping out where cannabinoid receptors exist in the brain, and in what density,
通過了解大腦中存在的大麻素受體的位置及疏密情況，
it should help shed light on the role of the cannabinoid system, which scientists are only just beginning to understand.
能幫助科學(xué)家揭開大麻素系統(tǒng)之謎。對于大麻素系統(tǒng)的認(rèn)識(shí)，科學(xué)家們才剛剛起步。
What would you say the function is of these endo-cannabinoid chemicals?
你認(rèn)為這些內(nèi)源性大麻素有什么作用？
Well, they act like a dimmer switch for other neurotransmitters.
它們是其他神經(jīng)傳遞素的調(diào)節(jié)器。
So other neutotransmitters like dopamine, where they're released in large quantities, you need to have a way to turn down that signal, sort of turn down the amount of neurotransmitter released.
如多巴胺之類的神經(jīng)傳遞素釋放過多時(shí)，你需要減少那種信號的傳遞，也就是降低信息傳遞素的釋放量。
Why do these other chemical messengers need regulating?
為什么要調(diào)節(jié)這些化學(xué)信使呢？
That's a good question.
這個(gè)問題問得好。
If you have too much of a signal, it can actually be toxic to some brain cells.
如果你接收一種信號過多，一些腦細(xì)胞就會(huì)因此受損。
Imagine the case in epilepsy.
癲癇癥就是這樣的。
A lot of message is getting across, it's not being regulated.
大量的信息不停通過，而它們均未經(jīng)調(diào)節(jié)，
It's all garbled, it's being sent all at once, in full force.
完全扭曲，并且一齊釋放，毫無約束。
In cases such as epilepsy, too much of a neurotransmitter is released,
癲癇癥，就是由于過多的神經(jīng)傳遞素被釋放，
flooding through the brain and activating too many nerve cells.
它們淹沒了整個(gè)大腦，刺激了大量的神經(jīng)細(xì)胞導(dǎo)致的。
But when the cannabinoid receptors are activated, they cause the nerve cells to reduce the amount of neurotransmitter they release.
當(dāng)大麻素受體被激活，它們促使神經(jīng)細(xì)胞的神經(jīng)傳遞素釋放量減少。
In this way, the cannabinoid system keeps the brain stable, with levels of neurotransmitters at a happy medium.
這樣，大麻素系統(tǒng)讓神經(jīng)傳遞素停留在折中的水平，以此維持大腦的穩(wěn)定。
After five hours, the scan is complete.
5個(gè)小時(shí)之后，掃描完成了。
So Garth, you've got the results in?
加斯，你得到結(jié)果了嗎？
Yes, we finished our five-hour scan and let me show you what we have.
是的，5小時(shí)的掃描完成了，讓我給你展示下結(jié)果。
So this is an image from our subject from today.
這就是今天掃描得到的圖像。
The receptors are highlighted in what colour?
這些大麻素受體是用什么顏色標(biāo)注的呢？
In bright red.
鮮紅色。
Well, any colour you see, there are receptors, and red is the really dense areas, and you can see there's a lot of red and yellow.
其實(shí)你看到有顏色的地方都是受體，紅色代表的是密度高的地方，你看到紅色和黃色的部分有很多。
Green and blue are the really not dense areas, where there are not many receptors.
綠色和藍(lán)色指示密度較低的地方。
Incredible.
真不可思議。
So they really are everywhere?
也就是說，大麻素受體遍布了整個(gè)大腦。
Yes, yes.
是的。
