Multitasking Ability Can Be Improved Through Training
通过训练人们可提高同时处理多个任务的能力
通过训练人们可提高同时处理多个任务的能力
小顾营养编译
原文：http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716113401.htm
ScienceDaily (July 27, 2009) — Training increases brain processing speed and improves our ability to multitask, new research from Vanderbilt University published in the June 15 issue of Neuron indicates.
每日科学(2009年7月27日)报道：一项美国范德堡大学6月15日发布的神经元方面的研究表明，训练可以增加大脑处理速度并提高我们同时处理多个任务的能力。
"We found that a key limitation to efficient multitasking is the speed with which our prefrontal cortex processes information, and that this speed can be drastically increased through training and practice,” Paul E. Dux, a former research fellow at Vanderbilt, and now a faculty member at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and co-author of the study, said. “Specifically, we found that with training, the 'thinking' regions of our brain become very fast at doing each task, thereby quickly freeing them up to take on other tasks."
该项研究的合著者Paul E. Dux，这位范德堡大学的前研究员，澳大利亚布里斯班昆士兰大学的教职员同时也称：“我们发现了在有效进行多任务操作方面的一个关键限制点，它可以控制我们的脑额叶前部皮层中正在处理的信息，这样通过训练和练习可以极大地增加速度。具体来说，我们发现了通过训练，我们大脑‘思考’的地区可以飞快地处理每一件工作，从而迅速地转而进行其他的工作。 ”
To understand what was occurring in the brain when multitasking efficiency improved, the researchers trained seven people daily for two weeks on two simple tasks — selecting an appropriate finger response to different images, and selecting an appropriate vocal response (syllables) to the presentation of different sounds. The tasks were done either separately or together (multitasking situation). Scans of the individuals’ brains were conducted three times over the two weeks using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while they were performing the tasks.
为了理解当大脑高效率地完成多个任务时究竟发生了什么，研究人员花了两周时间每天训练7个人做2个简单的任务：用合适的手指来指出不同的图形，并回应出不同的声音。工作人员利用功能性核磁共振成像技术扫描这些人的大脑在这两周里完成这些任务时的情况。
Before practice, the participants showed strong dual-task interference—slowing down of one or both tasks when they attempted to perform them together. As a result of practice and training, however, the individuals became very quick not only at doing each of the two tasks separately, but also at doing them together. In other words, they became very efficient multitaskers.
在训练前，当参与者尝试同时完成两项任务时，他们不得不放慢其中之一的动作来避免双重任务发生的冲突。然而当进行了练习和训练后，受试者变得很快速地完成任务，不仅仅只能做两项任务的其中之一，而是可以同时完成。换句话说，他们变得能够有效处理多个任务。
The fMRI data indicate that these gains were the result of information being processed more quickly and efficiently through the prefrontal cortex.
功能性核磁共振造影技术的数据表明，这是得益于信息可以快速有效地通过脑额叶前部皮层。
"Our results imply that the fundamental reason we are lousy multitaskers is because our brains process each task slowly, creating a bottleneck at the central stage of decision making," René Marois, associate professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University and co-author of the study, said. “Practice enables our brain to process each task more quickly through this bottleneck, speeding up performance overall.”
此项研究的合著者，美国范德比尔特大学的心理学副教授René Marois说：“我们的结果显示，我们之所以无法处理多项任务的根本原因是我们的大脑在处理每项任务时太慢了，在判断处理问题的中心环节出现了瓶颈。锻炼可以使我们的大脑越过这一瓶颈，从而更快速地完成每样任务，在整体表现上加快速度。”
The researchers also found the subjects, while appearing to multitask simultaneously, were not actually doing so.
研究人员还发现被试者并没有真的在同时做多个任务。
"Our findings also suggest that, even after extensive practice, our brain does not really do two tasks at once,” Dux said. “It is still processing one task at a time, but it does it so fast it gives us the illusion we are doing two tasks simultaneously."
Dux说：“我们的研究结果还表明,即使在进行大量的操作时,我们的大脑也并不真的在同时做两件事。它仍然是在某一个时间处理单独的任务,可它实在是太快了，以至于带给我们两个任务同时在进行的错觉。”
The researchers noted that though their results showed increased efficiency in the posterior prefrontal cortex, this effect and multitasking itself are likely not supported solely by this brain area.
研究人员指出,虽然他们的研究结果显示在训练脑额叶前部皮层后效率提高了，可这一多任务处理的效果似乎不仅仅来自于大脑这一片区域的变化。
“It is conceivable, for example, that more anterior regions of prefrontal cortex become involved as tasks become more abstract and require greater levels of cognitive control,” Marois said.
Marois表示：“这是很有可能的，举个例子，进行抽象工作时我们会让前额皮质的更多前部部分参与，这同时也需要更高水平的认知来控制.”
Dux completed this study while conducting post-doctoral research at Vanderbilt. Michael Tombu, Stephenie Harrison and Frank Tong, all of the Department of Psychology at Vanderbilt, and Baxter Rodgers of the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science and Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences also co-authored the study. Marois, Tombu, Harrison and Tong are members of the Vanderbilt Vision Research Center and the Vanderbilt Center for Integrative and Cognitive Neurosciences.
Dux在范德比尔特大学的博士后研究期间完成了这项研究。范德比尔特大学心理学院的Michael Tombu, Stephenie Harrison,Frank Tong三人与影像医学部射线与放射科学系Baxter Rodgers的研究还在进行中。Marois, Tombu, Harrison 和Tong 是视觉研究中心和范德比尔特中心与认知神经科学中心的成员。
The research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.
这项研究由美国国立精神卫生研究所赞助。
原文：http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716113401.htm
ScienceDaily (July 27, 2009) — Training increases brain processing speed and improves our ability to multitask, new research from Vanderbilt University published in the June 15 issue of Neuron indicates.
每日科学(2009年7月27日)报道：一项美国范德堡大学6月15日发布的神经元方面的研究表明，训练可以增加大脑处理速度并提高我们同时处理多个任务的能力。
"We found that a key limitation to efficient multitasking is the speed with which our prefrontal cortex processes information, and that this speed can be drastically increased through training and practice,” Paul E. Dux, a former research fellow at Vanderbilt, and now a faculty member at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and co-author of the study, said. “Specifically, we found that with training, the 'thinking' regions of our brain become very fast at doing each task, thereby quickly freeing them up to take on other tasks."
该项研究的合著者Paul E. Dux，这位范德堡大学的前研究员，澳大利亚布里斯班昆士兰大学的教职员同时也称：“我们发现了在有效进行多任务操作方面的一个关键限制点，它可以控制我们的脑额叶前部皮层中正在处理的信息，这样通过训练和练习可以极大地增加速度。具体来说，我们发现了通过训练，我们大脑‘思考’的地区可以飞快地处理每一件工作，从而迅速地转而进行其他的工作。 ”
To understand what was occurring in the brain when multitasking efficiency improved, the researchers trained seven people daily for two weeks on two simple tasks — selecting an appropriate finger response to different images, and selecting an appropriate vocal response (syllables) to the presentation of different sounds. The tasks were done either separately or together (multitasking situation). Scans of the individuals’ brains were conducted three times over the two weeks using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while they were performing the tasks.
为了理解当大脑高效率地完成多个任务时究竟发生了什么，研究人员花了两周时间每天训练7个人做2个简单的任务：用合适的手指来指出不同的图形，并回应出不同的声音。工作人员利用功能性核磁共振成像技术扫描这些人的大脑在这两周里完成这些任务时的情况。
Before practice, the participants showed strong dual-task interference—slowing down of one or both tasks when they attempted to perform them together. As a result of practice and training, however, the individuals became very quick not only at doing each of the two tasks separately, but also at doing them together. In other words, they became very efficient multitaskers.
在训练前，当参与者尝试同时完成两项任务时，他们不得不放慢其中之一的动作来避免双重任务发生的冲突。然而当进行了练习和训练后，受试者变得很快速地完成任务，不仅仅只能做两项任务的其中之一，而是可以同时完成。换句话说，他们变得能够有效处理多个任务。
The fMRI data indicate that these gains were the result of information being processed more quickly and efficiently through the prefrontal cortex.
功能性核磁共振造影技术的数据表明，这是得益于信息可以快速有效地通过脑额叶前部皮层。
"Our results imply that the fundamental reason we are lousy multitaskers is because our brains process each task slowly, creating a bottleneck at the central stage of decision making," René Marois, associate professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University and co-author of the study, said. “Practice enables our brain to process each task more quickly through this bottleneck, speeding up performance overall.”
此项研究的合著者，美国范德比尔特大学的心理学副教授René Marois说：“我们的结果显示，我们之所以无法处理多项任务的根本原因是我们的大脑在处理每项任务时太慢了，在判断处理问题的中心环节出现了瓶颈。锻炼可以使我们的大脑越过这一瓶颈，从而更快速地完成每样任务，在整体表现上加快速度。”
The researchers also found the subjects, while appearing to multitask simultaneously, were not actually doing so.
研究人员还发现被试者并没有真的在同时做多个任务。
"Our findings also suggest that, even after extensive practice, our brain does not really do two tasks at once,” Dux said. “It is still processing one task at a time, but it does it so fast it gives us the illusion we are doing two tasks simultaneously."
Dux说：“我们的研究结果还表明,即使在进行大量的操作时,我们的大脑也并不真的在同时做两件事。它仍然是在某一个时间处理单独的任务,可它实在是太快了，以至于带给我们两个任务同时在进行的错觉。”
The researchers noted that though their results showed increased efficiency in the posterior prefrontal cortex, this effect and multitasking itself are likely not supported solely by this brain area.
研究人员指出,虽然他们的研究结果显示在训练脑额叶前部皮层后效率提高了，可这一多任务处理的效果似乎不仅仅来自于大脑这一片区域的变化。
“It is conceivable, for example, that more anterior regions of prefrontal cortex become involved as tasks become more abstract and require greater levels of cognitive control,” Marois said.
Marois表示：“这是很有可能的，举个例子，进行抽象工作时我们会让前额皮质的更多前部部分参与，这同时也需要更高水平的认知来控制.”
Dux completed this study while conducting post-doctoral research at Vanderbilt. Michael Tombu, Stephenie Harrison and Frank Tong, all of the Department of Psychology at Vanderbilt, and Baxter Rodgers of the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science and Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences also co-authored the study. Marois, Tombu, Harrison and Tong are members of the Vanderbilt Vision Research Center and the Vanderbilt Center for Integrative and Cognitive Neurosciences.
Dux在范德比尔特大学的博士后研究期间完成了这项研究。范德比尔特大学心理学院的Michael Tombu, Stephenie Harrison,Frank Tong三人与影像医学部射线与放射科学系Baxter Rodgers的研究还在进行中。Marois, Tombu, Harrison 和Tong 是视觉研究中心和范德比尔特中心与认知神经科学中心的成员。
The research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.
这项研究由美国国立精神卫生研究所赞助。
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原文：http://blog.zenmechi.com/post/300.html