Neoroscientists from the Medical college of Georgia, in Augusta, and the East China Normal University, in Shanghai, have achieved what, to most, seems impossible: removing a specific, unwanted memory. These reserchers have learned that by genetically engineering a specific protein in a mouse's brain, alpha-CaMKII, they are able to make the mouse 'forget' a traumatic memory. Scientists alter a version of alpha-CaMKII, a regulatory protein that is involved in learning and memory, especially vital for recalling memories. Memories, probably formed by interactions of brain chemicals exchanging information between neurons, and their formation remain a mystery to scientists. However, this molecule, when blocked, seem to either erase or block a memory from being recalled. The most groundbreaking part of this discovery is that the erasure is specific to the memory being recalled. The experiment consisted of training a mouse to expect a shock whenever it was in a chamber and a certain sound was played. The mouse would freeze in anticipation when they entered the chamber or heard the sound. However, when researchers placed the mouse in the chamber (without playing the sound) and altered alpha-CaMKII's activity, the mouse would not freeze when it entered the chamber. However, it still asociated the sound with a shock. This procedure, when repeated to erase the memory of the sound and not the chamber, produced the same results.
This experiment was an example of hypothesis-based science.
Even though scientists can never be sure if the memory is really gone, it still has many possibilities for application in modern medicine. These disccoveries could someday lead to therapies that can erase traumatic memories from people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or help addicts from relapsing due to drug-associated memories. This exact techique will never be used in people, since it requieres genetically altering a protein in the brain, but it many lead to other ways to selectively forget.
Author: Tina Hesman Saey
"Altering a protein wipes out shocking memory in mouse brain: Erasing effect appears limited to information being recalled"
Science News
November 22, 2008
Page 8
1 comment:
Its a good experiment for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (like Toyos said) BUT people should focus on RECOVERING memories more because I find it would be more beneficial. Alzheimer's is a very sad mental disease affecting many. Or when a girl is 'roofied', and can't remember, by helping people recover memories, a lot of criminals could be put in jail and lives spared.
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