很多年輕人都喜歡把能量飲料和酒精飲料混合在一起喝，然而，研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，在青春期混合飲用能量飲料和酒精會(huì)損害大腦功能，進(jìn)而導(dǎo)致認(rèn)知能力出現(xiàn)長期問題。

Experiments on rats have shown that mixing energy drinks with alcohol can cause long-term problems with cognitive function, adding to concerns over young adults drinking habits.
對大鼠的實(shí)驗(yàn)顯示，混合飲用能量飲料與酒精會(huì)導(dǎo)致認(rèn)知功能的長期問題，這一發(fā)現(xiàn)增加了人們對年輕人飲酒習(xí)慣的擔(dān)憂。

The study was carried out by a team from the University of Cagliari and the University of Catania in Italy, and groups of male adolescent rats being given alcohol, energy drinks, or a mixture of both. Various standard experiments were then used to assess cognitive function --including brain scans and behavioral tests – up to 53 days after drinking.
這項(xiàng)研究由意大利卡利亞里大學(xué)和卡塔尼亞大學(xué)的團(tuán)隊(duì)開展，研究對象為一組雄性青春期大鼠，分別給予酒精、能量飲料或兩者的混合物。隨后，研究人員通過腦部掃描和行為測試等標(biāo)準(zhǔn)實(shí)驗(yàn)評(píng)估大鼠的認(rèn)知功能，最長持續(xù)到飲酒后53天。

These tests revealed that the animals that consumed the mixed drinks showed enduring changes in their ability to learn and remember, as well as changes in the hippocampus part of the brain – the area responsible for learning and memory.
這些測試結(jié)果顯示，飲用混合飲料的大鼠在學(xué)習(xí)和記憶能力方面表現(xiàn)出持久的變化，大腦中負(fù)責(zé)學(xué)習(xí)和記憶的海馬區(qū)也發(fā)生了變化。

"Little is known about whether the combined consumption of these drinks, during adolescence, may have long-term effects on central function, raising the question of the risks of this habit on brain maturation," write the researchers in their published paper.
研究人員在其發(fā)表的論文中寫道：“關(guān)于青春期同時(shí)飲用這些飲料是否會(huì)對中樞功能產(chǎn)生長期影響知之甚少，從而讓人們開始好奇這種習(xí)慣對大腦發(fā)育風(fēng)險(xiǎn)的問題?！?/p>

Of course, both alcohol and energy drinks are popular with young people for a variety of reasons – from late-night parties to late-night study sessions – and the implications from this study are that these habits could be causing some long-term harm.
顯然，酒精和能量飲料出于各種原因——從夜間派對到熬夜學(xué)習(xí)——在年輕人中很受歡迎。這項(xiàng)研究指出，這些習(xí)慣可能會(huì)造成一些長期的傷害。

In particular, it seems that hippocampus plasticity could be affected, impairing the brain's ability to adapt and change in response to new information and demands. It's a crucial part of the brain's normal functioning.
值得注意的是，研究指出，海馬區(qū)的可塑性可能受到影響，這會(huì)削弱大腦適應(yīng)和應(yīng)對新信息和需求的能力，而這些能力是大腦正常功能的關(guān)鍵部分。

While the rats on alcohol and energy drinks initially showed a boost in certain brain metrics and functions – including a rise in a protein that drives neuron growth – these benefits didn't last, and over time and into adulthood there was actually a decline in brain capability.
盡管飲用酒精和能量飲料的大鼠最初表現(xiàn)出某些大腦指標(biāo)和功能的提升——包括促進(jìn)神經(jīng)元生長的蛋白質(zhì)水平上升——但這些益處并未持久，隨著時(shí)間推移，大鼠進(jìn)入成年期，實(shí)際上大腦能力有所下降。

"Our results show that alcohol mixed with energy drinks consumption during the peri-adolescent period produces adaptive hippocampal changes at the electrophysiological and molecular levels, associated with behavioral alterations, which are already detectable during adolescence and persist in adulthood," write the researchers.
研究人員寫道：“我們的結(jié)果表明，在青春期混合飲用酒精和能量飲料會(huì)在電生理和分子水平上引起海馬區(qū)的適應(yīng)性變化，并伴隨行為改變，這些改變在青春期就已能檢測到，并持續(xù)到成年期?！?/p>

These results still need to be confirmed in human studies. But the findings suggests that health concerns over energy drinks are justified. Alcohol has plenty of health implications of its own, and it's common sense that mixing the two together in any kind of significant way isn't the best idea.
這些結(jié)果仍需在人類研究中得到確認(rèn)。但這些發(fā)現(xiàn)表明，擔(dān)憂能量飲料對健康的影響是有道理的。酒精本身對健康有很多影響，顯然將兩者混合飲用不是一個(gè)好主意。

The levels of drinks given to the young rats were the equivalent of binge-drinking, a behavior that appears to be on the rise among young human adults. Now the researchers want to see further studies into what the consequences might be.
研究中讓青春期大鼠攝入的飲料量相當(dāng)于暴飲行為，這種行為在年輕人中似乎有上升趨勢。研究人員希望進(jìn)一步研究這種行為的后果。

"Overall, the analysis of the whole set of data obtained strongly suggests that alcohol mixed with energy drinks, during adolescence, may have upshots that are not necessarily the sum of those observed with ethanol or energy drinks alone and permanently affect hippocampal plasticity," write the researchers.
研究人員總結(jié)道：“總體來說，對獲取的整套數(shù)據(jù)的分析有力地表明，在青春期混合飲用酒精和能量飲料可能會(huì)產(chǎn)生比單獨(dú)飲用酒精或能量飲料更嚴(yán)重的效果，并永久影響海馬區(qū)的可塑性。”

The research has been published in Neuropharmacology.
該研究發(fā)表在《神經(jīng)藥理學(xué)》上。

英文來源：Science Alert

編譯：丹妮

審校：董靜、齊磊