Controversy Should Not Stop Us From Developing Memory-Erasing Drugs, Neuroethicist Argues
Less than three weeks from now marks the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, one of the most traumatic events in modern memory and the motivation behind the persistent wars in the Middle East. If you could take a pill that would make you forget that day, would you do it? The field of memory-altering drugs has been marching forward for years, and we've seen several recent developments that can change our recollection of fear or trauma. In one example, rats given a brain injection had their fears extinguished; in another, researchers recently learned that a drug that suppresses stress hormones can interfere with the formation of negative memories. Related ArticlesWith an Artificial Memory Chip, Rats Can Remember and Forget At the Touch of a ButtonNew Drug Blocks Stress Hormone, Improving Memory in Elderly MiceAn Injection Straight to the Brain Makes Rats Forget Their FearsTagsScience, Rebecca Boyle, drugs, ethics,...