2013年四月,美國總統歐巴馬簽署了一項腦科學研究計畫(Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative, BRAIN),此計畫的目標是以最新的神經造影技術,來深化我們對大腦結構與功能的認識。光是在2014年,這個倡議即編列了一億美金的預算,以支持相關的腦神經研究。而這僅是長期研究計畫的第一步,美國政府正在研議如何訂定長期的研究計劃與預算,以提升腦科學研究的深度與廣度。
此外,聽損與否也可能會影響一個人大腦的結構與功能。美國約翰霍普金斯大學的研究人員 [10],利用「巴的摩爾老化長期研究(Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging)」的資料,針對聽損與腦容量的關係進行了一項有趣的研究,他們分析了一群受試者在逐漸老化時,其腦容量的變化。受試者在研究之初,做了聽力評估,接著接受為期長達十年、每年一次的核磁共振檢查。結果顯示,研究開始時就患有聽損的受試者,相較於聽常者,其大腦有較大幅度的萎縮,平均以每年一立方釐米以上的速度流失大腦組織,而這些大腦組織恰好與輕度認知功能退化和早期失智症所表現出的記憶衰退的行為有關 [11]。
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