would you want amnesia drug that blocks or deletes bad memories

[karyn]

from technovelogy

Amnesia Drugs: Bad Memories Blocked

An amnesia drug that blocks or deletes bad memories is under development by researchers at Harvard and McGill University (in Montreal). The technique seems to allow psychiatrists to disrupt the biochemical pathways that allow a memory to be recalled. You don't even need to know the Vulcan mind-meld to do it.

In a new study, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, the drug propranolol is used along with therapy to "dampen" memories of trauma victims. They treated 19 accident or **** victims for ten days, during which the patients were asked to describe their memories of the traumatic event that had happened 10 years earlier. Some patients were given the drug, while others were given a placebo.

A week later, they found that patients given the drug showed fewer signs of stress when recalling their trauma.

Similar research led by Professor Joseph LeDoux has been carried out at New York University on rats; scientists were able to remove a specific memory from the brains of rats while leaving the rest of the animals' memories intact. An amnesia drug called U0126 was administered.

The rats were trained to associate two musical tones with a mild electrical shock so that when they heard either of the tones they would brace themselves for a shock.

The researchers then gave half the rats the drug when playing one of the musical tones.

After the treatment, the rats that had been given the drug no longer associated that particular tone with an imminent shock but still braced themselves upon hearing the second tone, demonstrating only one memory had been deleted.

Science fiction fans have a number of associations with the idea of banishing unwanted memories. In the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey play lovers who have a falling out. Winslet's character goes to a company called Lacuna, Inc. to have her memories of the relationship removed.

In the film, the process involves showing the person a memento of the relationship and then encouraging them to bring up specific memories while an electric shock is given. Not to give away the film, but this technique does not work as planned.

Here's a memory you might have repressed. In the classic Star Trek episode Requiem for Methuselah, Jim Kirk becomes enamored of Rayna, a beautiful woman who turns out to be an android created by a five thousand year old man who calls himself Flint, who was also Leonardo DaVinci and Shakespeare (among many others) during the course of his long life. Flint wants Rayna for himself, Kirk wants her, she loves them both, her circuits overload resulting in her death, and Kirk is devastated.

Finally, Spock saves the day by applying a little-known property of the Vulcan mind-meld, which is that he can make Kirk forget about his sorrows and return to duty.

Philip K. Dick was one of the first to make use of this idea. In his 1966 short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale he writes about selectively erasing memories:

Someone, probably at a government military-sciences lab, erased his conscious memories; all he know was that going to Mars meant something special to him, and so did being a secret agent...
(Read more about erasing memories)

In related stories, see how researchers have developed a technique that Detects False Memories; also, read about how you can Hack Your Own Reality - The Virtual Way to have better memories than the ones you actually have.

Read more about Scientists find drug to banish bad memories. Thanks to Technovelgy reader Miez who contributed this story. Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 7/1/2007)

[VoldtaEngler]

They kinda use the same thing with Twilight Sedation dentistry places. So i dont think its too far off there..

[Kidthorazine]

I have severe post traumatic stress disorder, if this drug wgere safe and whatnot I would probably take it.

[Black Spiral Dancer]

Unless it was a really bad memory, like seeing your partner hacked to bits by an axe-wielding maniac, I wouldn't take it. You need to fail at things if you're going to learn from your mistakes. If you got rid of all your bad memories, you would lose part of yourself. I mean, how would you know who or what to avoid in, say, a relationship, you would probably end up doing the same thing all over again.

[Kidthorazine]

well this is really only designed for people with post traumatic stress disorder, which means they would have a pretty hard time functioning with any semblance of normality without lots of medication, and this is probably healthier than being loaded on benzodiazepines.

[Mr Karl]

not for me...

[kellie]

WOw...I have such mixed thoughts on this subject...I dont even know where to begin.

[Anarkey]

pft... happens when i drink to much anyways , so why do a drug i dont know the side effects for , i;ll stick with PBR and Johnny Walker plz

and ya i have PTSD ,,,

[One Eyed Cat]

No. I dance with my demons. I have PTSD despite my skepticism of clinical diagnosis. I am who I am. No Soma.

Jackie T

[One Eyed Cat]

On a sidenote: I take the drug propranolol (aka inderal) daily (I didn't notice the name) All it does is lower blood pressure and heart rate. It is also used for anxiety related to PTSD (my bp is like 90/60 now) It does not have the effect mentioned on me. I do not see how it would affect therapy beyond making one more relaxed during sessions.

Kellie may be able to clarify this, but I have never heard of it having an amnesia effect. It sure as shit doesn't on me (although I find therapy silly anyways)

Jackie T

[One Eyed Cat]

I have severe post traumatic stress disorder, if this drug wgere safe and whatnot I would probably take it.

You can easily get a 'scrip. I may buy this as far as greater ease when recalling events. Beyond that, it has no effect. I can calmly recount brutal incidents now and actually get angry when sympathy is offered. I guess inderal may be the source of that. I am skeptical though.

Jackie T

[Velvet-Tongue]

No thanks.

[Kidthorazine]

You can easily get a 'scrip. I may buy this as far as greater ease when recalling events. Beyond that, it has no effect. I can calmly recount brutal incidents now and actually get angry when sympathy is offered. I guess inderal may be the source of that. I am skeptical though.

Jackie T

oh wait if this is about propranolol then I already take the stuff, doesn't do crap for me.

[One Eyed Cat]

oh wait if this is about propranolol then I already take the stuff, doesn't do crap for me.

I was amazed when I read that was what was being promoted. Inderal was originally just used for hypertension and tachycardia. Moved to stage fright and agoraphobia. Now PTSD related anxiety. It calms in a direct sense. I see no way how it could actually alleviate PTSD. Has a weird effect if you start doing cardio workouts. I've been taking it for awhile. Like I said, I'll grant it a calming effect. You won't forget a damn thing though.

Jackie T

[Kidthorazine]

I was amazed when I read that was what was being promoted. Inderal was originally just used for hypertension and tachycardia. Moved to stage fright and agoraphobia. Now PTSD related anxiety. It calms in a direct sense. I see no way how it could actually alleviate PTSD. Has a weird effect if you start doing cardio workouts. I've been taking it for awhile. Like I said, I'll grant it a calming effect. You won't forget a damn thing though.

Jackie T

well since it blocks epinepherin (adrenaline) it's supposed to stop the physical symptoms of a PTSD induced anxiety/panic attack, but yeah it won't make you forget anything.

[One Eyed Cat]

well since it blocks epinepherin (adrenaline) it's supposed to stop the physical symptoms of a PTSD induced anxiety/panic attack, but yeah it won't make you forget anything.

yeah it pretty much eliminates any sort of fight/flight reaction. You can break through it though if its a hardcore panic attack.

[Scar]

I wouldn't want it, as tortured as I sometimes am by my thoughts. I can literally keep myself up all night fretting and worrying about things, it's awful, but I am sure the anxiety bad thoughts and memories cause me would find a way to be present regardless. I think we all have a chemical make-up that causes us to be either relaxed or anxious or manic or depressed etc., and although life experience amplifies it we cannot escape it. Plus I strongly identify with some of my negative past experiences, and I strongly identify with some of the positive ways I have learned to think as an outcome of those things, so doing away with them I think would change the GOOD in me as well as the bad....

[Cafe_Post_Mortem]

This drug is intended for people with a much greater degree of trauma than I have. Combined with therapy it is meant to dampen the effect of the memory, not wipe it out. To be honest I do not have a memory that causes me negative physical reactions. If I did I could definitely see a use for this. If it worked as advertised.

I never judge another mans pain, or how they treat it short of hurting others.

Besides, I can remember few enough things as it is.

[OrganizedKhaos]

I'm not sure what kind of drug they use, or whatever, but as aforementioned, about the twilight dentistry, they use benzodiazapines i.e. versed or something short acting that blocks memory. I've had to have a few medical procedures (sacroilliac joint steroid injection) where that stuff was used, and its effective. BUT for someone to administer something that WIPES out trauma...that sounds freaky. Who's to say it wont wipe out something else, or the potential to abuse it for who knows what kind of reason.

It sounds creepy to me.
Sure, on one hand it sounds appealing, I've had my share of trauma, but that added in shaping me into who I am now.
Just thinking about the potential of this drug gives me the creeps.

On the other hand, people use drugs everyday to numb themselves into forgetting trauma.... just not in a permanent fashion.

[helcyon]

bring it on. I've known enough people with anxieties to hope that there is something to help them... soon. one of them had it all brought on by interferon... now that is a filthy substance.

I think we all have a chemical make-up that causes us to be either relaxed or anxious or manic or depressed etc., and although life experience amplifies it we cannot escape it.

yep. I'm either un-traumatised, have dealt with it or in deep denial. I'm definitely a "cup half full" type personality... very optimistic. if there's a chemical compound to mend people with a "cup is unfixably smashed" type personality then please get it distributed widely as it's such a shame when people are so impeded by mental anguish that permanently haunts them.

[Nos]

I think Scar put it best .......

I think all the horrid things that I've made it past had a reason .... and all of it has made me who I am today .... which is something I would never change.

[Xochitl]

I know of some drugs out there already for this type of thing. Versed is one that is used frequently. They use it to set broken bones etc. I know they use it on **** exams on children etc. I don't advocate it for the most part but there are times when especially in the best interest of innocent people like children it is very helpful. It all depends on the situation and circumstances, however, it is frightening to know that it can get into the wrong hands. For adults I would strongly avoid its use we already encourage enough pill popping to deal with the tribulations of life. Yes life is hard but when has it not been?