一些癌症病人被治愈后依然有抑郁症状，这让人费解不已，但Sandrine Thuret女士却认为这完全合乎常理。因为她的研究表明，人在成年后依然每天能生成700多个新的脑细胞，帮助我们记忆更新，情绪管理和方向定位等。治癌药阻止了癌细胞的生成，而它同时也阻止了我们大脑内这些新的脑细胞的生成，所以之前脑细胞传递出的抑郁情绪依然停留在过去，没有即时得到更新，所以不少病人会继续保持患癌时的抑郁症状。这一发现和相关的试验，对于我们人类如何控制情绪，延缓衰老，健康生活等方面都具有着划时代的意义。

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Can we, as adults, grow new nerve cells? There’s still some confusion about that question, as this is a fairly new field of research. For example, I was talking to one of my colleagues, Robert, who is an oncologist, and he was telling me, "Sandrine, this is puzzling. Some of my patients that have been told they are cured of their cancer still develop symptoms of depression." 

我们，作为成人，还能生长新的神经细胞吗？这个问题还未完全清晰，因为这还是新的研究领域。比方说，我跟我的同事罗伯特说，罗伯特是一名肿瘤学家，他告诉我，“桑德琳，这很令人疑惑。我的一些病人，即使被告知他们的癌症已治愈，仍有抑郁的症状。”

And I took him for a tour of one of the most exciting parts of the brain when it comes to neurogenesis -- and this is the hippocampus. So this is this gray structure in the center of the brain. And what we've known already for very long, is that this is important for learning, memory, mood and emotion. However, what we have learned more recently is that this is one of the unique structures of the adult brain where new neurons can be generated. 

我向他展示了大脑最令人兴奋的部分有关神经生成的活动--这是海马体。就是大脑中心这个灰色的结构。我们早已得知，这对学习，记忆，情绪和情感很重要。然而，我们进来新研究出的是这是一个对成人大脑来说很特别的结构，这里能够生成新的神经元。

We are still learning a lot, and neurons are not only important for memory capacity, but also for the quality of the memory. And they will have been helpful to add time to our memory and they will help differentiate very similar memories, like: how do you find your bike that you park at the station every day in the same area, but in a slightly different position?

我们仍在学习，神经元对于记忆能力，以及记忆的质量来说非常重要。他们能够帮助我们的记忆加入时间概念他们也会帮助我们区分非常相近的记忆，比如：如何寻找你的自行车你每天都将它停在车站附近的同一块地方，但是在这片地不同的位置？

And more interesting to my colleague Roberti’s the research we have been doing on neurogenesis and depression. So in an animal model of depression, we have seen that we have a lower level of neurogenesis. And if we give antidepressants, then we increase the production of these newborn neurons, and we decrease the symptoms of depression, establishing a clear link between neurogenesis and depression. 

对我的同事罗伯特来说更有意思的是我们正在做有关神经生成和抑郁的研究。在这个关于抑郁的动物模型，我们可以看到它的神经生成在较低的水平，如果给牠们服用抗抑郁剂，我们增加了新生的神经元，于是抑郁的症状就减轻了，在细胞生成和抑郁症状间建立了清晰地联系。

And then finally, how about running? I will let you judge that one by yourself.

最后，跑步？这要看你们各自的情况自己决定。

So this is one of the first studies that was carried out by one of my mentors, Rusty Gage from the Salk Institute, showing that the environment can have an impact on the production of new neurons. And here you see a section of the hippocampus of a mouse that had no running wheel in its cage. And the little black dots you see are actually newborn neurons-to-be. And now, you see a section of the hippocampus of a mouse that had a running wheel in its cage. So you see the massive increase of the black dots representing the new neurons-to-be.

这是第一个研究是我在索尔克研究所的导师RustyGage做的，显示出环境对于生长新的神经有影响。这幅图片是老鼠的海马体，它的笼子里没有滚动跑轮。黑色的小点点是将要新生的神经元。现在，这幅是老鼠的海马体它的笼子里有滚动跑轮。你可以看到数量巨大的黑色小点点显示出它的神经元生成状况。

So activity impacts neurogenesis, but that’s not all. What you eat will have an effect on the production of new neurons in the hippocampus. So here we have a sample of diet -- of nutrients that have been shown to have efficacy. And I'm just going to point a few out to you: Calorie restriction of 20 to 30 percent will increase neurogenesis. Intermittent fasting -- spacing the time between your meals -- will increase neurogenesis. Intake off lavonoids, which are contained in dark chocolate or blueberries, will increase neurogenesis. 

所以，活动会影响神经生成，但并不只是如此。你吃的东西会影响到海马体生长新的神经元。这里我们有一个健康饮食的样本--这些有功效的营养物质。我要指出一些来：卡路里保持在20%-30%会增强细胞生长。间歇地断食--在餐与餐之间空下时间--会提高神经细胞新生。摄入黄酮类物质，在黑巧克力或蓝莓中，会提高神经细胞新生。

Omega-3 fatty acids, present in fatty fish, like salmon, will increase the production of these new neurons. Conversely, a diet rich in high saturated fat will have a negative impact on neurogenesis. Ethanol -- intake of alcohol -- will decrease neurogenesis. However, not everything is lost; resveratrol, which is contained in red wine, has been shown to promote the survival of these new neurons. So next time you are at a dinner party, you might want to reach for this possibly "neurogenesis-neutral “drink.

欧米伽-3脂肪酸，在脂质鱼中，比如三文鱼，会提高神经细胞新生率。相对的，那些高饱和脂肪会对神经生成有不好的影响。乙醇--酒精中摄取--会降低神经新生。然而，并不是所有都不好，白藜芦醇，红酒中的物质，就能够促进新生神经的存活率。下次你再去晚宴派对的时候，你也许想要喝这种可能“神经新生——中立”饮品。

And then finally, let me point out the last one -- a quirky one. So Japanese groups are fascinated with food textures, and they have shown that actually soft diet impairs neurogenesis, as opposed to food that requires mastication-- chewing -- or crunchy food.

最后，让我在说最后一点——古怪的一点日本人着迷于食物的质感，软质饮食减少神经生成，相对于那些需要咀嚼，或是脆的食物。

Such as: calorie restriction will improve memory capacity, whereas a high-fat diet will exacerbate symptoms of depression -- as opposed to omega-3 fatty acids, which increase neurogenesis, and also help to decrease the symptoms of depression. So we think that the effect of diet on mental health, on memory and mood, is actually mediated by the production of the new neurons in the hippocampus. And it's not only what you eat, but it's also the texture of the food, when you eatit and how much of it you eat.

比如：卡路里限制会提高记忆能力，反之，一个高脂肪的饮食会加剧抑郁的症状。相反的，欧米伽-3脂肪酸，会提高神经生成，同时也会帮助减缓抑郁的症状。因此我们认为饮食的效用在神经健康、记忆和情绪，是通过在海马体内制造新的神经元间接完成的。不只是你吃什么，还有食物的质地，什么时候吃吃了多少来决定。

On our side -- neuroscientists interested in neurogenesis -- we need to understand better the function of these new neurons, and how we can control their survival and their production. We also need to find a way to protect the neurogenesis of Robert's patients. And on your side -- I leave you in charge of your neurogenesis.

在我们神经科学家这边--有兴趣的神经生成--我们需要更好的了解这些新生神经的功能，以及我们如何控制它们的存活率和制造情况。我们同样也要寻找一个方法来保护罗伯特病人的神经生成。在你们这边--请你们自己决定自己的细胞生成。