Scientists Hijack Mouse Neurons to Take Control of Their Memories
Albino Lab Mouse Wikimedia Commons In a new study with powerful implications for mental health, scientists hijacked the memories of lab mice, inducing them to form synthetic "hybrid memories" that were a combination of real experience and confused context. The work could eventually pave the way for false-memory or real memory manipulation in people with schizophrenia or post-traumatic stress disorder. Imagination can have a powerful effect on memory, and neuroscientists are starting to unravel the physical connections between the two. In this study, researchers at the Scripps Research Institute genetically engineered some mice to contain neuron triggers which the researchers could control. The mice were given a special memory receptor inserted into neurons that would normally be activated by sensory experiences. The technique is appropriately called a DREADD receptor (designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drug) - the team was working with the animals' fear response. They conditioned the mice to fear...