We can UNremember it for you wholesale. Selective memory pills.

by Jason Sanders | October 23, 2008 at 10:32 am

1074 views | 20 Recommendations | 30 comments

Scientists have devised a way of using drugs to selectively eradicate specific memories by using rats, electic shocks, sound, and lots of drugs. In a paper to be released tomorrow, they hope to use this drug for war veterans returning home or other individuals with traumatic memories. While this could result in a Philip K. Dickian world of manipulation and intrigue, I think that this is a great opportunity to help people who have been hurt in the past.

The researchers tested mice by shocking them while the mice heard a specific tone. They evaluated whether the mice remembered the shock by watching to see whether the mouse froze in fear upon hearing the tone again, or upon revisiting the chamber where it had been shocked. After being dosed with CaMKII while they recalled the fearful memories, the mice ceased to fear the tones and chamber. In a paper to be published tomorrow in scientific journal Neuron, Tsien proves that these memories weren't just temporarily blocked by the enzyme, but erased. No memories other than the targeted ones appeared to have been impaired.

No word on when the drug will be released. Wait... what day is it again?

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weelp

at 20:33 on October 30th, 2008

this is gonna be a big hit in the U.S. We love our pills!

Forgemaster

at 13:49 on October 23rd, 2008

Prozac-the worlds favourite anti-depressant. I couldn't tell if it was working, but it WAS affecting my creativity. I ditched it. Don't feel the worse for saying farewell!

Forgemaster has contributed a photo to this story.

AlexPharma

at 14:05 on October 23rd, 2008

I've heared about that last year, in an article i wrote for one of my exhams...The drug that most fits the description you gave is propranolol, at least for what i found..

Alexander Blacker

at 14:24 on October 23rd, 2008

http://flickr.com/photos/alexanderblacker/

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alana.ellliott

at 14:47 on October 23rd, 2008

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alanaelliottphotography/

Boy With Nails in his Eyes

at 14:53 on October 23rd, 2008

interesting stuff.

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AngelesAvilez

at 15:14 on October 23rd, 2008

Whoaa, thiss is greatt;;

haha

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dvs-one

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 15:38 on October 23rd, 2008

Jason Sanders, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Anon52

at 15:58 on October 23rd, 2008

It's an interesting idea, but I have to say I'm somewhat skeptical about the effectiveness of the drug in humans, as our thought processes are much more scattershot, associative and complicated than that of a terrified mouse.

Time will tell, one supposes.

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Taskii7

at 16:29 on October 23rd, 2008

I believe these were my antibiotics that I had to take for about 2 weeks.

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Rudy Tracy

at 17:00 on October 23rd, 2008

You are welcome.

camera addict

at 18:13 on October 23rd, 2008

sounds interesting

Large_Marge

at 20:53 on October 23rd, 2008

Vices

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Migraine Chick

at 02:40 on October 24th, 2008

I'm so glad the rats can forget the terrible things that happened to them!

adrysmomma04

at 05:32 on October 24th, 2008

All I can say is.....for me this was the worst experience of my life. Took one pill.....My first & last. YIKES!

adrysmomma04 has contributed a photo to this story.

Fast Eddie 77

at 05:57 on October 24th, 2008

Fast Eddie 77 has contributed a photo to this story.

Erodo

at 07:56 on October 24th, 2008

Photo contribution ©T. Boermans 2008

politisite

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 08:05 on October 24th, 2008

Jason Sanders, I like this story. It's good stuff. Men have that drug in them naturally. Now if I could just select what my wife remembers... now that would be nice.

Yoann Grange

at 08:06 on October 24th, 2008

Watch out the guy in clubs with pills... And if you really need to forget something : have sex !

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Jason Sanders

at 08:07 on October 24th, 2008

ha ha definitely :D Thanks for the GS

rEdwiNTER

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 11:08 on October 24th, 2008

Jason Sanders, this is unbelieveable!

I really wonder how, in humans, you could isolate a particular memory to be erased without accidentally erasing another? Could you retreive a memory that was irradicated? How could this be controlled? Not to mention, if everyone began erasing ALL their bad memories, the world would be filled with a bunch of zombies...happy zombies, but zombies none the less.

I know that bad things happen to people, and I've had things happen to me that I'd rather not like to recall, but doesn't every experience we have, good or bad...add to our character? It was always my assumption that we gained knowledge and grew as people after dealing with situations. Would these strengths be lost with the erased memories? I hope not!

hooi_lee

at 19:19 on October 24th, 2008

thanks for the invitation.

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tateishid

at 08:39 on October 25th, 2008

this photo contain pills for cancer,antibiotic,vitamin,or something.
In japan,Dr still have strong authority.
and some patients can't say anthing what they think.
Even if They have many pills, they can't say "no more!!"

so this photo is on maturity,and go to trushbox.

We phermacists against iregal or useless order,Drug abuse.
But many people don't know what we do for them.
We think how to be known ph is needful work.

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Disco Lies.

at 08:44 on October 25th, 2008

This article has really got me thinking.
I, too, think that this is an amazing opporitunity to give those that have experienced horric things their life back, and really I don't think anyone can disagree with that idea.

However, when you block a person's pain and fear - you're blocking part of what makes them human. And when you start to do that- thats when things get a bit scary.

Disco Lies. has contributed a photo to this story.

kurtisray

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 19:36 on October 25th, 2008

Jason Sanders, I like this story. It's good stuff.

knezzy

at 20:23 on October 25th, 2008

I am actually rather opposed to this idea. Whether the people using the drug would be participating for health reasons or otherwise, I believe whole-heartedly that there are other ways of dealing with traumatic situations that don't involve shredding your brain through chemical and shock therapy.

Furthermore, who decides who is allowed to use these medications/treatments? What criteria do you have to meet to be given the drugs? There are a number of ethical issues with this approach to medicine and I doubt that they will have clear solutions, nor do I think these drugs and treatments will be permanent fixes for the people seeking treatment.

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lepato

at 21:47 on October 26th, 2008

This one's from one of my sinusitis breakdowns.

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Erik Larson

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 19:33 on October 28th, 2008

Jason Sanders, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Babel-Fish

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:31 on October 29th, 2008

Jason Sanders, I like this story. Perhaps after the US election, a trial can be run by placing the drug into the drinking water system so everybody could forget the Bush Administration, lol