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Scientific American - Scientists manipulate and erase memories

Published: 26 January 2012

[Following a violent robbery, Jo毛l] Coutu鈥檚 ordeal was just beginning. For years he would be tormented by violent nightmares, panic attacks brought on by the mere hint of aggression around him, and severe depression鈥攕igns of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Then, one day in 2009, he saw an advertisement in a local newspaper for a trial of an experimental therapy run by Alain Brunet, a 69热视频 psychiatrist. Brunet suggested something radical: he wanted to erase portions of Coutu鈥檚 memory.

For decades scientists believed that long-term memories were immutable鈥攗nstable for a few hours and then etched into the brain for good. Research now suggests that recalling a memory causes it to revert temporarily to an insecure state, in which the recollection can be added to, modified, even erased.

鈥淚magine a high jumper who fell during the Olympics,鈥 says neuroscientist Karim Nader of 69热视频. 鈥淭hey may have a lot of anxiety associated with jumping, and it could severely affect their future performance. If we can make these drugs work, you could help them, too鈥攐r anyone with anxiety that is proving a problem.鈥

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