Researchers from Harvard University and McGill University are conducting research on a drug that appears to be able to "dampen" the psychological and physiological stress associated with remembering traumatic events.
The drug is called propranolol. It has been around for over two decades and the idea that it can be used to alter memory has been floating around for over a decade.
This is by no means a way to "erase" bad memories but the research is interesting nonetheless.
These latest research findings on how propranolol affects memories is published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. Read more in this Live Science article.
- Log in to post comments
More like this
The mainstream media are just queuing up to fail in their reporting of the propranolol story from a couple of days ago. To reiterate:
Propranolol is commonly used to treat high blood pressure and prevent migraines in children. But Merel Kindt and colleagues from the University of Amsterdam have…
The wiping of unwanted memories is a common staple of science-fiction and if you believe this weekend's headlines, you might think that the prospect has just become a reality. The Press Association said that a "drug helps erase fearful memories", while the ever-hyperbolic Daily Mail talked about a…
Everyone has painful or unpleasant memories in their past, and some of us would welcome the chance to forget them forever. Some debilitating disorders, like post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), prey on these memories in ways that are often difficult-to-treat. According to some recent research, a…
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about propranolol, a drug that can erase the emotion of fearful memories. When volunteers take the drug before recalling a scary memory about a spider, it dulled the emotional sting of future recollections. It's not, however, a mind-wiping pill in the traditional…