最新研究：聰明的大腦神經元更高效

While previous research has suggested bigger brains are indeed smarter, a closer look at the microstructural architecture suggests it's not just a matter of more brain cells, as much as more efficiently connected ones.

以往研究顯示：大腦越大越聰明(注：此說法不太準確)。如今，一項探究大腦微觀結構的新研究表明：高智商者的大腦皮層的神經元連接數(shù)量較少。也就是說，智商不僅在于神經元數(shù)量，也在于神經元的連接效率。

An international team of neurologists used a non-invasive technique known as multi-shell diffusion tensor imaging to get an idea of the density and branching arrangements of the grey matter inside the heads of just under 260 volunteers.Each subject also took a culturally fair complex reasoning test, producing a variety of scores ranging from 7 to 27 correct answers out of a possible 28.

研究團隊招募了大約260位志愿者，利用“彌散張量成像”技術(一種非侵入式技術)，探究他們大腦灰質的密度和支路分布。此外，志愿者還進行了復雜的推理測驗——該測驗不受文化背景的影響，總共設置28道問題。他們的得分在7-27分之間。

Matching the imaging data with the test scores, the researchers found that those with higher analytical skills not only had more brain cells, they also tended to have fewer branches between the neurons in their cerebral cortex.They then turned to a database of nearly 500 neural maps within the Human Connectome Project, and found the same pattern of higher IQ and lower interconnectivity.

研究人員結合成像數(shù)據(jù)和測驗分數(shù)，發(fā)現(xiàn)：擁有較高分析能力的人不僅擁有更多大腦細胞，而且大腦皮層的神經元連接數(shù)量較少。后來，他們調查了“人類連接組項目”的近500幅神經圖譜，發(fā)現(xiàn)了同樣的規(guī)律。

At first this might seem counterintuitive. The old idiom 'more hands make light work' might apply to brain cells, but in this case those extra hands don't seem to be passing more information between them.Previous research had shown that in spite of having more brain cells to share the heavy lifting, smarter brains don't tend to work as hard, displaying less metabolic activity when subjected to an IQ test compared with those who struggle to attain high scores.This observation has led to the development of the neural efficiency hypothesis, which suggests the analytical power of groups of nerve cells isn't about pushing them harder, but about them being connected in a way that minimises effort.

乍一聽，這似乎有點違背直覺，神經元連接數(shù)量難道不是越多越好嗎?其實不然。曾有研究顯示，盡管擁有更多大腦細胞，但在IQ測試中，高智商者的代謝活動反而比普通人低。這兩項研究結果都指向“神經效能假說”，即神經細胞群的分析能力不在于增加工作細胞的數(shù)量，而在于找到最不費力的連接方式。

"Intelligent brains are characterised by a slim but efficient network of their neurons," says neurologist Erhan Genç from Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany."This makes it possible to achieve a high level of thinking with the least possible neural activity."

德國波鴻魯爾大學的神經學家Erhan Genç表示：

聰明大腦的神經元連接網絡精簡但高效，能夠以最少的神經活動實現(xiàn)高水平的思維。

Research on intelligence is often complicated by questions of definition and interpretations of IQ testing, so we need to refrain from generalising the results too far beyond the scope of the experiment.

智商研究通常存在局限，它受到具體IQ測驗的限制。因此，我們不能過分推廣結論。

Brains do a number of awesome things, with analytical reasoning making up just a part of its diverse cognitive skill set.

大腦擁有很多功能，而分析推理能力只是眾多認知能力中的一項。

It might not help us all become geniuses, but it does show there's merit in working smarter, and not harder.

看來，在學習和工作的過程中，提升績效的關鍵不在于哼哧哼哧地瞎努力，而在于找到最不費力的方法。