Study Takes Step Toward Erasing Bad Memories
February 16th, 2009Oh sure.
Via: Reuters:
A widely available blood pressure pill could one day help people erase bad memories, perhaps treating some anxiety disorders and phobias, according to a Dutch study published on Sunday.
The generic beta-blocker propranolol significantly weakened people’s fearful memories of spiders among a group of healthy volunteers who took it, said Merel Kindt, a psychologist at the University of Amsterdam, who led the study.
“We could show that the fear response went away, which suggests the memory was weakened,” Kindt said in a telephone interview.
The findings published in the journal Nature Neuroscience are important because the drug may offer another way to help people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other problems related to bad memories.
Traditionally, therapists seek to teach people with such disorders strategies to build new associations and block bad memories. The problem, Kindt said, is the memories remain and people often relapse.
Animal studies have shown that fear memories can change when recalled, a process known as reconsolidation. At this stage they are also vulnerable to beta-blockers like propranolol, which target neurons in the brain, the researchers said.
Kindt and her team’s experiment included 60 men and women who learned to associate pictures of spiders with a mild shock. This experience created a fearful memory, the researchers said.
Other participants saw the same picture but did not receive an electrical shock. For these people this established a “safe” association without a fear response or bad memory.
One day later people given the drug had a greatly decreased fear response compared with people on the placebo when shown the picture and given a mild shock, the researchers said.
“There was no difference to the fear spider and the safe spider,” Kindt said. “This shows it is possible to weaken the underlying memory by interfering with it.”
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, Kindt said.
Military’s gotta be drooling over this one. At least until they can replace all the ground troops with drones.
I “love” this treatment-of-symptoms with a pill approach. Right @Anothernut. Lets just set ourselves into not curing anyone of anything. Lets just treat the symptoms with one pill after another so that when we wake up in the morning we can just pop a pill. We can avoid the bad/good effects of coffee, get over a possible hangover, hunger pains (no food in the cupboard/fridge and BE HAPPY just by popping that PILL. Brought to you by that great Pharma conglomerate which shall ONE DAY be ONE be named SMITH/LINE/GLAXO/WELCOM/DARPA blah, blah, blah.
I was going to write Kevin a personal email tonight to tell him what I did with the $50 or so I send Cryptogon and Farmlet (I told him earlier what I was doing)each month but wasn’t this time. But I thought maybe you’ll would benefit too.
I paid for tests – several, for my Mom and myself. One was based on hair and saliva samples. Yes, I might have lived a happier life not knowing that I have asbestos in my body (my sister died from a cancer caused by asbestos). I’d could have some day resorted to some arthritic pill if I didn’t know that I also have leaky gut syndrome, and high blood sugar (which both build up lactic acid in the joints and muscles). But hey, no problem. Instead of ANY of the yellow, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red pills, I can modify my diet, do some exercise, meditation (I forget the fourth path to healing.)
That people are wasting one dime on studies like these really chaps my ass. Its just another way to keep people from taking responsibility for their life in the body that came with it.
And Pookie, I just want you to know that RED and GREEN GRAPES are one of my sensitivities. So is alcohol. But sheesh, RED WINE IS FERMENTED darlin. And oh boy ANYTHING fermented is GOOD FOR YOU (Us). In moderation of course. And I don’t know how to do all that technostuff for the game either.
P.S. I went to the Weston Price Foundation website immediately after learning of “leaky gut syndrome.” Found the “ask the doctor” link, and went to the link for Thomas S. Cowan, MD. His book is the “The Fourfold Path to Healing.”
http://www.amazon.com/Fourfold-Path-Healing-Therapeutics-Meditation/dp/0967089794
His website is
http://fourfoldhealing.com/
And the fourth path is therapeutics.
I thought I was in control of my own life and body. Methinks I am now forging ahead on a new path, one to health and healing that was so abruptly cut short when Dr.A.S. died in a rock climbing accident.