Drug Selectively Removes Rats' Memory

rednuhter writes "Nature online is reporting scientists have used drugs to selectively remove one memory while not affecting another. Musical tones were played to the rats and at the same time the subjects were given a mild electric shock. Half the study group were given the drug (not approved for use in humans) and then the experiment was repeated with a new tone. The following day the rats that had not been given the treatment were afraid of both tones while the treated half were only afraid of the second tone: the memory of fear of the first had been erased."

Comments

did it really "erase" memory?

[xappax]

The objective results are pretty inarguable, but the implication that the reason that the rats didn't fear the note they heard while drugged is that they had completely forgotten about it seems tenuous. The rats could just as easily become accustomed to the note, develop a different association with that note (like being drugged), or become unafraid of it for some other related reason.

The article supports the claim by saying the brain activity is different, but it seems that more complicated experiments would need to be done before it could really be claimed that memories could be wiped this way.

Oh no!

[Rob T Firefly]

A drug that selectively erases memories would be very oopen to misuse. I believe we should immediately institute proper measures to prevent our police, governments, and military forces from..

..what's that? A glass of orange juice? My favorite! Thank you, that's very kind.

Now then.. *gulp* ....what was I saying?