http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...n-identity.html

Pill to erase bad memories

By David Derbyshire
Last updated at 12:42 PM on 16th February 2009

A drug which appears to erase painful memories has been developed by scientists.

The astonishing treatment could help sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder and those whose lives are plagued by hurtful recurrent memories.

But British experts said the breakthrough raises disturbing ethical questions about what makes us human.

They also warned it could have damaging psychological consequences, preventing those who take it from learning from their mistakes.

Dr Daniel Sokol, a lecturer in medical ethics at St George's, University of London, said: 'Removing bad memories is not like removing a wart or a mole. It will change our personal identity since who we are is linked to our memories.

'It may perhaps be beneficial in some cases, but before eradicating memories, we must reflect on the knock-on effects that this will have on individuals, society and our sense of humanity.'

Dutch researchers claim to have erased bad memories by using 'beta-blocker' drugs, which are usually prescribed to patients with heart disease.

Experiments on animals had already shown that the drugs - beta-adrenergic receptor blockers - can interfere with how the brain makes and remakes memories of frightening events.

In the latest study, Dr Merel Kindt of Amsterdam University tested the drugs on 60 men and women.

His team created fearful memories in volunteers by showing them pictures of spiders while giving them gentle electric shocks.

The volunteers were urged to 'actively remember' the images, creating a strong negative association between spiders and discomfort.

The following day the volunteers were split into two groups. One was given the beta blocker and the other a placebo pill before both were shown the same spider pictures.

The researchers recorded the level of fear in the volunteers by playing sudden noises and measuring how strongly they blinked.

A strong startle response showed they were in a fearful state, while a mild response showed they were calm.

The group given the beta blocker had a much weaker fear response than those given the dummy pill, the researchers report in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

A day later - once the drug was out of their systems - their fear response was tested again.

Once more, those given the beta blocker the previous day showed fewer signs of spider phobia, suggesting the memory was completely erased.

Beta blockers appear to work because each time someone recalls a powerful emotional memory the memory is 'remade' by the brain.

The drug interferes with this re-creation of the stressful memory - and prevents the brain renewing it.

In theory, it could eradicate memories of traumatic events that happened years ago. It might also help patients overcome phobias, obsessions, eating disorders and even sexual hang-ups.

Dr Kindt said: 'Traditionally, therapists seek to teach people with such disorders strategies to build new associations and block bad memories but the problem is the memories remain and people often relapse.'

It could be several years before doctors prescribe the drugs for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The scientists say more tests are needed to confirm the drug's memory- erasing properties. Dr Kindt said: 'The next steps are to look at how long the drug's effects on memory last, and testing the treatment in people who actually are suffering from some kind of disorder or phobia.'

But British experts warned the drug raises some difficult questions.

Professor John Harris, an expert in biological ethics at the University of Manchester, said: 'It is obviously up to the individual whether or not she wishes to risk the possible effects, including psychological discontinuity, of erasing unpleasant memories.

'An interesting complexity is the possibility that victims, say of violence, might wish to erase the painful memory and with it their ability to give evidence against assailants.

'Similarly criminals and witnesses to crime may, under the guise of erasing a painful memory, render themselves unable to give evidence.'

Paul Farmer, chief executive of the mental-health charity Mind, said he was concerned about the 'fundamentally pharmacological' approach to problems such as phobias and anxiety.

He told Channel 4 News that the unintended consequences 'could include the eradication of positive memories'.

Professor Neil Burgess of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience told the programme that wide-scale use of the drug was a long way off.

'All they've shown so far is that the increased ability to startle someone if they are feeling a bit anxious is reduced,' he said.

The ability to remove memories has been the stuff of science fiction for decades.

In the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which starred Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey, a couple used a technique to erase memories of each other when their relationship turned sour. 

   Kirk: "I don't want my pain taken away!  I need my pain!"

I wonder what's next now...

Interesting read, but good grief - pretty soon, they'll have a real life version of fukitoll, lol.

I think it would help people who've been through major-bad crud (ie. sexual assult victims, combat veterans with PTSD, child molestation victims, genocide survivors). But I can see it being abused by people who just want to forget, say, an embarrassing but not sanity-threatening memory. I know I'm the sort who'd fall into the latter category, though hopefully I'd have the sense not to go shopping for a doctor who'd prescribe it to me.

This is a very dangerous thing.

...How does this work?  You take the pill and think really hard about the memories you want it to erase, and when it takes affect they'll be gone?

Or does it just target all bad memories in general?  Because if that's the case, then hell, anyone could do anything they wanted, and not worry about having to live with the consequences.

*goes and kills someone, serves a prison sentance, then takes a pill to forget about the prison time*

That's also in question, how the hell does it work?

DarkRevenantW wrote:

That's also in question, how the hell does it work?

Purple Moths fly in your brain and then they discuss with the worm king which parts of the brain are bad.  After great debates on various things from Global Cooling String Theory and Steven Erkel they finally decide its time to get back to the topic at hand.  Alas, they can not figure it out themselves. Luckly WK knows a guy who knows a rodient who knows a theif. From that theif they find Lanmoid the last decendant from Planet Venus. He goes into a lengthy discussion about the war between venus and mars and how venus won because he is the last one standing but it destroyed both planets so he moved to earth and lived in his half step cousins basement. His name shmelven.  So all these crazy kids get together and lay out an attack plan on the Basal Ganglia.  After man beers they finally had  laid out a full proof plan.  Simple turn them into zombies that way they will forget everything for sure.

And thats how the zombie wars will start.

Also I have no idea how those pills work and I am really bored and tired.

^ I lol'd.

You gotta be kidding me...

Othinn1 wrote:

 

 

Kirk: "I don't want my pain taken away! I need my pain!"

wins!