In 2013, an ambitious research project promoted by the University of Basel, in collaboration with several universities, seems to have found the chemical compounds that regulate the expression of memories . In addition, it allowed us to see how certain molecules administered through drugs affect the organism by reducing unpleasant memories. The article with the conclusions was published in the journal PNAS.

A drug to eliminate bad memories: is this possible?

The drug belongs to the group of antihistamines and was chosen because it acts on a type of receptor on neurons in whose creation a gene related to the maintenance of traumatic memories is involved. The effects of the drug, called diphenhydramine, were tested in a double-blind study with a group that was once given this substance and another that took a placebo.

As expected, people who had taken the antihistamine showed a tendency to remember fewer unpleasant images to which they had been exposed only 5 minutes earlier. And all this, 3 hours after taking a single dose. In addition, the drug had no effect on the recovery of memories associated with a neutral or positive emotional tone.

Promising conclusions

This research used as a basis from which to formulate hypotheses the genetic mechanisms that regulate the expression of memories. Thus, based on the knowledge of the information encoded in human DNA, the researchers were able to determine on which chemical compounds present in the body should act the drugs related to memory retrieval.

Thus, a filtering process was applied by discarding a group of 20 genes that was finally reduced to 9 after having undergone different revisions according to various criteria, and then it was checked which of the 9 genes is more related to the traumatic memories of 349 genocide survivors . This gene was labeled HRH1 and is involved in the creation of histamine H1 receptors , hence the choice of an anti-histamine for drug treatment.

Researchers argue that knowing this is a breakthrough, as it serves to demonstrate how knowledge about the genetic basis of human beings can be used to select drugs and predict their effects.

A debate beyond science

Beyond the scientific debate, there is always the debate about whether it is appropriate to reduce the footprint left on us by bad memories. Some people, such as those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, may find this kind of resource useful, but it is surely perverse to make drugs reach every corner of our lives that cannot be directly associated with happiness. Bad memories, in addition to being difficult to isolate by using a single label, can be part of the lessons we internalize through our brush with the real world, and therefore it is easy to find a use for them.

Therefore, determining how practical it is to use these pills is a process that is subject to constant debate. Let us hope that we will be able to reach a decision freely, regardless of the large pharmaceutical corporations that have interests at stake.

Bibliographic references:

  • Papassotiropoulos, A. Gehrards, C., Heck, A. Ackermann, S., Aerni, A., Schicktanz, N. et al. (2013). Human-genome-guided identification of memory-modulating drugs. PNAS, 110(46), pp. E4369-E4374.