Some memories that we hold on to are just too unpleasant or painful that we want them literally deleted from our minds. If you think that's only possible in the flick "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," which starred Jim Carrey and who, in his film character, tries to overcome a painful break-up by erasing his memory--not anymore.
Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in Florida have found a method by which memories can be erased chemically. However, it only works for those related to drug abuse.
The scientists involved in the study discovered a single chemical injection, called blebbistatin, which promises to disrupt the long-term storage of memories associated with the use of prohibited drugs, as well as block relapse for at a least a month. The experimental trial was first made on mice.
TSRI Associate Professor Courtney Miller said: "We now have a viable target and by blocking that target, we can disrupt, and potentially erase, drug memories, leaving other memories intact. The hope is that, when combined with traditional rehabilitation and abstinence therapies, we can reduce or eliminate relapse for meth users after a single treatment by taking away the power of an individual's triggers."
While it is quite terrifying to think that you will be losing pieces from your past, the people behind the study are positive that their work can completely introduce innovation to the treatment of drug addiction. This will be done by enabling the addicts to forget the triggers which lead them to drug use. Triggers, which include smells, sounds and sights of things, can last a lifetime and are treated as a big risk when it comes to relapse of drug dependency.
"Immediately following withdrawal, most substance users enter a 'honeymoon' phase where they report feeling physically and emotionally well, with few cravings. However, approximately 1-3 months into recovery, many abstinent individuals report hitting a 'wall'. This phase of recovery is marked by anhedonia [the inability to feel pleasure] and strong cravings that often result in relapse," Miller further explained.
The study, which Miller wrote together with seven other researchers from TSRI, was published in this month's issue of Molecular Psychiatry.
