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Erasing Neuronal Memories May Help Control Chronic Pain

An anonymous reader writes "A team of researchers led by McGill neuroscientist Terence Coderre, who is also affiliated with the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, has found the key to understanding how memories of pain are stored in the brain. More importantly, the researchers are also able to suggest how these memories can be erased, making it possible to ease chronic pain."

4 of 80 comments (clear)

  1. Pain by DaMattster · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Pain is probably one of the most mysterious things the body experiences. Recent studies have shown that the distinctions between physical and emotional pain are often blurred because emotional pain can become physical pain. Emotional pain can create real, actual physical ailments and this is why there is great emphasis in studying depression in humans. Current thinking that depression causes undue cardiovascular stress and can possibly accelerate alzheimers and have other deleterious effects on the brain. Depression can cause pain. This study is exciting because it just might cure depression versus just using medicines to mitigate it.

  2. Re:Dianetics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    L. Ron Hubbard was right about starting a religion in order to get rich.

  3. Re:Dianetics by Jay+L · · Score: 1, Insightful

    So was L. Ron Hubbard right about "engrams" causing PTSD?

    Page 194.

    Dianetics.

  4. Re:Dianetics by sjames · · Score: 3, Insightful

    There's a lot of almost right in Dianetics, that was part of Hubbard's strategy. Combine that with some over-simplifications, magic thinking and space aliens and there you have it.