亮光耳机照亮你的冬日心情

As the nights get longer, those who suffer from the winter blues will be planning ways to escape to the sunshine.

随着夜晚越来越长，那些患有冬季忧郁症的人们就要开始计划各种方法，想要逃离到阳光下。

But there may be a much simpler way of cheering yourself up... simply shining a bright light into your ear canal.

但要想心情好起来可能还有更简单的办法……往耳洞里照点亮光就行了。

Up to one in four Britons suffer from seasonal affective disorder, with seven per cent of the population having full-blown SAD.

每四个英国人中就有一人有季节性情绪失调症，而英国人口中有7%都有严重症状。

It is caused by the brain not receiving enough daylight which is needed to trigger serotonin, a hormone that regulates mood. Symptoms range from mild lethargy to depression and insomnia, but a cure might be in sight.

这种症状是由于日光不足引起的，因为大脑不能生成调节情绪所必需的血清素。季节性情绪失调的症状有轻度嗜睡、抑郁、失眠等，而且目前没有治愈的可能。

Two clinical trials, run by Valkee - who make a device that can shine light into your ear - and the University of Oulu in Finland, have found that carefully targeted light can help prevent the condition.

Valkee公司生产了一种能往耳朵里照射亮光的装置。通过Valkee与芬兰奥卢大学联合进行的两项临床试验，专家发现这种局部晒光的办法确实可以帮助预防病情。

Juuso Nissilä, Valkee's co-founder and chief scientist said: 'We presented earlier that the human brain is sensitive to light.

Valkee公司的创始人与首席科学家Juuso Nissilä表示：“我们之前就介绍过，人脑对光线是非常敏感的。”

'These two clinical trials demonstrate that channeling bright light via ear canal into brain's photosensitive areas effectively prevents and treats seasonal affective disorder.'

“这两项临床试验证明通过耳洞进入的亮光可以影响大脑的感光区，有效地预防以及治疗季节性情绪失调症。”

The University of Oulu reported that in their first study, 92 per cent of the patients with seasonal affective disorder achieved full remission after a month of daily eight-to-12 minute doses of light from the Valkee.

奥卢大学也发表报告称，在第一次研究中，经过每日8到12分钟的Valkee照耳，一个月后，有92%的季节性情绪失调症患者病情得到全面缓解。

The results were presented at the International Forum for Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Budapest.

这一研究成果发布于在布达佩斯举行的情绪障碍和焦虑症国际论坛上。

Valkee launched its bright-light headset in August 2010. It is classed as a medical device under EU regulations.

Valkee公司是在2010年8月推出的这种亮光耳机，属于符合欧盟规定的医疗器械。

The device channels bright light direct to the brain via the ear canal to prevent and cure depression, mood swings and even circadian-rhythm disorders such as jetlag.

这一装置可以通过耳道直接将光线照入大脑，以帮助治疗抑郁症、情绪波动甚至如因时差而导致的昼夜失调。

It costs £185 and looks like an iPod - only the earphones emit light rather than sound.

这一售价185英镑的器械外形酷似iPod，只不过其耳机只能发射亮光而不是用来听音乐的。

Anyone wanting to replicate the effects with a torch is likely to be disappointed, they emit the wrong kind of light that is apparently too yellow.

如果有人想要用手电筒光来模拟这一效果，可以要失望了。手电筒发出的光线并不能奏效，明显是因为颜色太偏黄的缘故。