Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Drug Deletes Fearful Memories

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the also-the-memory-that-you-paid-your-bill-already dept.

Al writes "Technology Review has an article about a common drug that seems to 'delete' painful memories related to a fearful experience. Experiments carried out by neuro-scientists at Emory University show that propranolol, a drug commonly used to treat high blood pressure, can suppress the emotional part of a fearful memory. The results, published in Nature Neuroscience, suggest a new way to treat anxiety disorders. In recent years, scientists have discovered that the simple act of remembering a past experience requires that the memory be consolidated once again. And both animal research and some human studies have shown that during re consolidation, long-term memories — once thought to be fairly stable — can be more easily meddled with."

21 of 247 comments (clear)

  1. A boon to higher education by mbstone · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now they can make money re-educating the same students they educated before! Think of the student loan debt!

    1. Re:A boon to higher education by lucif3r · · Score: 5, Funny

      Nice, now I can touch the stove again!

    2. Re:A boon to higher education by flyingsquid · · Score: 4, Funny

      You guys should not be joking about this. Deleting painful memories is an incredibly dangerous thing, as I can tell you from experience, and in the long run it will only make things worse than they were before. The reason why it's so dangerous is because... ah hell, I can't remember. But anyway, I'm pretty sure it's a bad idea.

    3. Re:A boon to higher education by hopkimi · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nice, now I can get married again!

    4. Re:A boon to higher education by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'll stick to the old methods, I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy...

      --
      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
    5. Re:A boon to higher education by iminplaya · · Score: 2, Funny

      "As you age, the second thing to go is your memory. I forget what the first thing is."

      I just saw that posted somewhere else, and I swear to god I forgot where it was.

      --
      What?
  2. PropranoLOL by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Any relation to propofol, a.k.a. milk of amnesia?

    --
    Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
  3. Drugs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    propranolol

    So this will turn your fearful memories into hilarious ones?

    1. Re:Drugs by Talderas · · Score: 2, Funny

      Propranolol.

      Lol your nightmares away.

      With propranolol you'll be LOLing so hard you'll be ROTFLYAO.

      Sides effects may include: dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, water retention, painful rectal itch, hallucination, dementia, psychosis, coma, death, and halitosis. Propranolol is not for everyone. Consult your doctor before use.

      --
      "Lack of speed can be overcome. In the worst case by patience." --Znork
  4. Ahh... by XPeter · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now I can finally forget the day that ruined my life. It took me away from schoolwork, friends, family...it was horrible.

    Now I can finally forget the day I joined Slashdot.

    --
    "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits" - Albert Einstein
  5. Dupe? by Hognoxious · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've seen this story before. I think.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  6. Buy your expensive drugs by psnyder · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'll keep my alcohol. Years of private studies show loss of fear and suppression of bad memories.

    1. Re:Buy your expensive drugs by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'll keep my alcohol. Years of private studies show loss of fear and suppression of bad memories.

      Yes, but it's like a DELETE statement without a WHERE clause.
         

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
  7. As Roosevelt said, by blakedev · · Score: 5, Funny

    "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself, and now we have a drug for it."

    --
    QamuIs Heg qaq law' lorvIs yInqaq puS
  8. Re:And this is a Good thing!? by drolli · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hmmm you can record you life on a carry-on camera you carry around. A knowbot indexes it for you and after you agree with the indexing you swallow this drug. After that use google desktop to search you memories.

  9. Re:And this is a Good thing!? by flyingsquid · · Score: 5, Funny

    On the other hand, previous experiences suggest this might not be such a bad thing. It didn't actually do much damage last year when a secret biowarfare lab accidentally released the Mnemonivirus and we had a global Amnesia Plague. Remember that?

  10. russian perspective by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    In Russia this thing is known for centuries, they call it "vodka".

  11. Re:side effects of propranolol by gmuslera · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't care... after the drug strips the emotional content of the memory of having suffering all of those side effects, it will just dont matter anymore.

  12. Re:side effects of propranolol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Worse side effects: I keep shitting my pants, but I don't know why!

  13. Thank the Lord... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'll finally be able to wipe the image of Goatse from my mind.

  14. Off-patent varieties by jonaskoelker · · Score: 5, Funny

    So this will turn your fearful memories into hilarious ones?

    Just wait when it goes off-patent. You'll see knock-offs like propanorofl, propanolmao, propanolulz and propanocheezburgar.