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Consciousness is one of the biggest mysteries of the brain.
意识是我们大脑最大的谜团之一。
But maybe even more intriguing is what goes on when we lose consciousness—and how do we find our way back?
但更有趣的是，当我们失去意识后，该如何再重新恢复呢?
Now, researchers studying anesthetized rats have discovered a handful of activity patterns that may help mark the path to consciousness.
现在，研究人员经过研究被麻醉的老鼠发现，少量的活动模式可以助我们找回意识。
The findings are in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
这项研究已经在《美国国家科学院院刊》上发表。
The anesthetized brain is not actually quiet.
麻醉过的大脑并不完全平静。
It shows patterns of spontaneous activity that can change over time.
随着时间的改变它会出现一些自主活动模式。
But as the brain wakes, how do these random splashes of activity morph into the vigorous chatter of the conscious mind?
但是随着大脑变得逐渐清醒，这些随机自主活动如何演变成精力充沛的大脑意识呢?
To find out, researchers looked for common patterns in the brain activity of rats as they were put under anesthesia and brought back.
为了寻找答案，研究人员观察从被麻醉到恢复意识的老鼠。
And they discovered a number of patterns that took place consistently.
结果他们发现有大量的模式持续出现。
A few seemed to serve as stepping stones from deep anesthesia to waking, as if the brain were finding its way through a maze of possible activity states on the way back to consciousness.
并且其中一些像是为从深度麻醉到清醒准备好的跳板，大脑如同通过一个可能处于活动状态的迷宫找寻恢复意识之路。
Knowing how the brain reboots itself may help physicians better predict recovery from brain injury or even coma, and should lead to a better understanding of how to keep us under.
了解大脑是如何自我恢复意识有助于帮助内科医生更好预测病人何时从脑损伤甚至昏迷中恢复意识。
