How to erase “black memories”?

Reduced activity of cells that store memories

Speaking at the conference Annual conference of the Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston, USA Professor Sheena Josselyn of the University of Toronto (Canada) said they have discovered specific brain cells where a specific memory is stored. .

“So we can target where in the brain the memory is happening,” she said. “We can then reduce activity in these cells… And it would be as if we erased the memory.”

Based on this finding, an experiment on mice has demonstrated that it is possible to “turn off and on” fear memories created with a sound. sound combined with electric shock. After this was done the rats calmed down when they heard the sound that they had previously learned was accompanied by electric shock.

Increased cell activity The cell restored memories of electric shocks – enough to cause discomfort but no lasting harm – in mice.

“We can turn memories on and off” Sheena Josselyn University of Toronto (Canada) said.

“It really gives us proof of principle. If we have memory problems we don’t have to target the whole body or the whole brain. This suggests that there is a way to target key cells in only traumatic memories and erase those traumatic memories in humans.”

Professor Josselyn said it may be possible in the future scientists will develop “a heat-seeking missile or heat-plate drug that will somehow only work on these cells that are important for memory.”

“Loi “using competition” of neurons

In addition to eliminating fear memories, researchers were able to erase memories related to cocaine use in mice, showing that this could lead to new approaches to treating drug addiction.

Memories are stored as engrams consisting of brain cells that “flash” in a specific pattern If something happens, brain cells (neurons) will compete with each other to store memories.

“We have shown that if two related event occurred in a short period of time – 6 hours – then the same neurons that win the competition will store both engrams.

“This links two related memories together. On the other hand, if two events occur more than 6 hours apart, there is no overlap in the recruited nerve cell populations and memories are stored separately.

“Their results I suggest that neuronal competition during memory formation is a mechanism for linking or integrating related memories,” explains Professor Josselyn.

The problem ethical issues

Professor. Eichenbaum, director of the University of Michigan Brain and Memory Center, notes that only a limited number of brain cells are involved in these memories, and deleting one memory can harm others. . But he added: “If this memory is particularly severe and is ruining your life then it may be a reasonable compromise.”

Actually doing the experiment This practice in humans faces many ethical problems and is currently a dead end.

But research suggests that there may come a time when it will be feasible, for example, to treat people with post-traumatic stress disorder or drug addiction.

When asked about ethical considerations Prof. Josselyn said being able to target potential treatments is the main issue, adding that she doesn’t yet see a future in which brain cells will be killed to erase memories.

“Ethics is a really important question. I think we are the sum of our memories,” she said.

“We all learn from mistakes If we erase all memories of mistakes, what will keep us from repeating them?”

But she added: “For something that really causes harm. interfere with your daily life I think treatment targeting only these cells may be appropriate.”

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According to Independent