A drug to eliminate bad memories

A drug would have a curious effect: to erase unwanted memories from our memory.

In 2013, an ambitious research project led by the University of Basel and involving the collaboration of several universities was reportedly able to find the chemical compounds that regulate the expression of memories. chemical compounds that regulate the expression of memories..

In addition, it made it possible to verify how certain molecules administered through drugs affect the organism by reducing unpleasant memories. The article with the conclusions was published in the journal PNAS.

A drug to eliminate bad memories: is this possible?

The drug belongs to the group of antihistamines and was chosen because it acts on a type of neuron receptors in the creation of which a gene related to the maintenance of traumatic memories is involved. The effects of the drug, called diphenhydramine, were tested in a double-blind study with one group given the drug once and another taking a placebo.

As expected, people who had taken the antihistamine showed a tendency to remember fewer unpleasant images to which they had been exposed earlier in their lives. to which they had been exposed only 5 minutes earlier. And all this, 3 hours after taking a single dose. In addition, the drug produced no effect on the retrieval of memories associated with a neutral or positive emotional tone.

Promising findings

This research used as a basis from which to formulate hypotheses the genetic mechanisms regulating the expression of memories. Thus, based on our knowledge of the information encoded in human DNA, the researchers were able to determine which chemical compounds present in the body should be targeted by drugs related to memory retrieval.

Thus, a filtering process was applied by discarding a group of 20 genes that was finally reduced to 9 after having undergone different revisions according to various criteria. which of the 9 genes was found to be most closely related to the traumatic memories of 349 genocide survivors.. This gene was labeled HRH1 and is involved in the creation of histamine H1 receptors histamine H1 receptorshence the choice of an antihistamine for pharmacological treatment.

Researchers argue that knowing this is a breakthrough, as it serves to demonstrate how knowledge about the genetic basis of human beings can be used to select drugs and predict their effects.

A debate beyond science

Beyond the scientific debate, there always remains the debate as to whether it is relevant to reduce the imprint that bad memories leave on us. Some people, such as those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, may find these kinds of resources useful, but it is surely perverse to make drugs reach the last corner of our lives that cannot be directly associated with happiness. Bad memories, besides being difficult to isolate by using a single label, may be part of the lessons we internalize through our brush with the real world and, therefore, it is easy to find a use for them.

Therefore, determining to what extent the use of these pills is practical is a process subject to constant debate. Let us hope that we will be able to reach a decision freely, independently of the large pharmaceutical corporations that have interests at stake.