Propranolol: The Wonder Drug that May Ease Painful Memories
We watched in angst as Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet erased painful memories of a difficult past in the film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Are we coming into an age where it is possible to achieve a spotless mind? Ironically, the characters seemed to have anything but eternal sunshine in their minds or lives. Not only difficult memories were released, but positive ones as well!
Would you erase one bad memory at the cost of the string of pleasant memories that are bundled with it? In the film, memories were erased after they had been made, but proprandol will disable the memories from becoming permanently embedded in our minds. Our memories take time to come into form within our brains. We are medically able to strengthen or weaken memories while they are still forming. A memory is created as a process, and propranolol inhibits the completion of the process.
What is Propranolol?
Propranolol is a drug that was developed in the 1950s indicated as a treatment for hypertension. Further research has concluded that propranolol is the new experimental wonder drug that is able to cease the effects of post traumatic stress syndrome while inhibiting the completion of a painful memory.
Although the drug does not “erase” memories it may ease the future effect of those memories Post traumatic stress syndrome affects the future, just as it does the present. It is a long term illness, and the effects can be devastating on daily life.
Propranolol inhibits the production of adrenaline — adrenaline aids in the solidification of a memory. If a memory is unable to be engraved in your mind - than you may not be have the effects of post traumatic stress disorder. That is, if the drug is administered close to the stressful event.
“Propranolol sits on that nerve cell and blocks it, so that, think of this as being a key, and this is a lock, the hole in the lock is blocked because of propranolol sitting there. So, adrenaline can be present, but it can’t do its job.”
-James McGaugh
James McGaugh is the neurobiologist at the University of California who came into the discovery of this indication that is apparently used not only for hypertension and post traumatic stress disorder, but can be used to rid oneself of stage fright.
Trials and placebos are currently being conducted on the drug in groups of victims. Only time will tell the adverse effects of the drug and the effectiveness of this new indication.
[article provided by Associated Content]
by Lori Godin
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