ZAP those bad memories away!!!
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| Figure 1: Using optogenetics in mice (1) |
Recently,
an article came out concerning using optogenetics in mice (Figure 1) to switch “bad”
memories into “good” memories1,2. This is an invasive
technique where the mouse has been genetically altered by injecting a
light-sensitive virus into the brain’s neurons.
This virus then is activated by a laser.
Optogenetics is being used to study more complex regulatory processes,
which was originally being considered “proof-of-concept” research, but is now
approaching pharmacological relevance in the field of synthetic biology3.
The
researchers in the Nature article2 mapped the neurons used to
register a “bad” memory (the shocking of the feet of the male mouse) and those
used to register a “good” memory (the neurons activated in the male when he is ‘cohorting’
with a female mouse). Then, the
researchers were able to switch the “bad” to a “good” memory so that the mouse
was no longer afraid of the shock and the “good” to a “bad” so that the male
mouse now was apprehensive of being with the female.
To read the IEEE Spectrum article concerning this topic, use the link below:
Lasers Switch Bad Memories to Good in Mice
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| Figure 2 (taken from ref. 4) |
1. Waltz E. Lasers Switch Bad Memories to
Good in Mice. Available at:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/biomedical/devices/lasers-switch-memories-from-bad-to-good.
2. Redondo RL, Kim J,
Arons AL, Ramirez S, Liu X, Tonegawa S. Bidirectional switch of the valence
associated with a hippocampal contextual memory engram. Nature
2014;advance online publication. doi:10.1038/nature13725.
3. Bacchus W, Aubel D,
Fussenegger M. Biomedically relevant circuit-design strategies in mammalian
synthetic biology. Mol. Syst. Biol. 2013;9:691. doi:10.1038/msb.2013.48.
4. Ruaraidh.
Postmodernism: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Postmodernism Analysis: Postmodernism
2010. Available at:
http://tccpomo.blogspot.com/2010/11/eternal-sunshine-of-spotless-mind.html.
Accessed September 14, 2014.
It’s funny that you mentioned the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, because that is exactly what I was thinking as I was reading the description of this experiment. It is a very surreal concept, but it could be so beneficial to the world of science. What is so innovative about this particular experiment is that their goal isn’t necessarily to change the memory; it is to change the perception of the memory. This is what’s called emotional memory, and it refers to the emotion associated with the memory. (1) Although this is an amazing discovery that could greatly benefit patients with psychological trauma like PTSD, the ramifications are quite hefty. As you mentioned, the bioethical issues that result from this type of experimentation are very serious. Aside from the obvious “messing-with-human-brains-would-be-crazy” argument, even if this would work for someone with PTSD, would it cause more harm than good? If emotionally traumatic memories are converted to good memories, will that cause people to act in emotionally harmful ways thinking it will be beneficial? Furthermore, could this lead to lack of emotional connectivity, such as in the case of serial killers? (2)
ReplyDeleteI can’t imagine the struggle of feeling a certain way, but not being able to understand or explain why. Innately, I know certain circumstances to be bad, but knowing that they are bad and feeling the emotion associated with them are two completely different things. Knowing a situation is bad, but not being able to feel bad about it could cause more emotional stress and disconnect. This may not seem to have ramifications when the studies are isolated to mice, but what happens when the consciousness of humanity is involved? There are unimaginable consequences, which may not make the therapeutic potential as inviting.
1. http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v7/n1/full/nrn1825.html
2. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-superhuman-mind/201212/the-making-serial-killer
I greatly agree with Hannah's point. This seems like a widely beneficial breakthrough on the surface, but I think this needs to be approached with great caution. Advances in treatment of PTSD is incredibly necessary, but this may not be the way to go about it. The ramifications that could come from changing the way a person perceives an event could be quite dangerous. What would happen to the morals of a person who looks back upon war and feels happiness or pleasure? What would happen if they even simply feel nothing? Although war is many times justified and necessary, I think that the memory of combat should invoke negative feelings. I realize that this may sound harsh, but I think this is necessary for the morality of the person, and society in general. Most people are taught right from wrong, but it would be much harder for a person to choose the morally correct action if their emotions are telling them differently. In a world where black and white moral lines are quickly graying, the "mass production" of a treatment like this would probably very quickly speed up the process.
ReplyDeleteUsing a laser to get rid of bad memories? Sign me up! After reading Hannah's post, though, I now have second thoughts. This technology could be useful for many psychoses including PTSD, depression, and other trauma from bad memories. As Hannah said, a major risk would be the psycho-emotional detachment from such a procedure. Much of the world today is already removed from emotion due to the constant stimulus of tragic images and experiences as well as a societal push to remove emotions from expression. Another concerning use of this technology is the reverse could occur and have a "dementor effect." For those who are not familiar to my Harry Potter reference, I am alluding to the wraiths that suck all of the happy memories from a person and leave only the unhappy ones until they steal your soul. It would be plausible for the zombie apocalypse to occur through the detachment of emotions and the elimination of soul defining good memories. Can humans exist without bad memories or good ones?
ReplyDeleteIt may be nice to erase bad memories, but I think I would like to keep my file of bad memories in my brain. If I were to be the experimental mouse and ran away from all of my bad problems, then I would never show up to physics class. When the professor gives me my test grade I can immediately tell by his facial expression that I failed. This test grade results as a bad memory that could cause me to fall into a deep depression or it could motivate me to go to the library, create a study plan, and aim for an A on the next exam. If my bad memory of the exam were to be erased, then I would forget that I failed the physics exam, so I would have no need to study, and my life would be over.
ReplyDeleteWanting to zap away your memories sounds absurd, even if they may be a memory of a horrifying event. The quote from George Santayana “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” will no longer have any meaning since you cannot even remember your past because you decided to zap it away. Right now it seems like an innocent procedure to help those suffering from depression or PTSD, but in the future I can just imagine immature teenagers lining up to zap away their memories of a bad date with a boy/girl. I personally would like to forget all the times I have embarrassed myself in public, but then a lesson would have never been learned that day.
ReplyDeleteSome light must be shined on this experiment though since MIT scientists determined that the neural circuits that were pliable were located in the brain's hippocampus in a region called the dentate gyrus while doing these experiments. The brain (especially a human brain) is so complicatedly complex and mysterious that any discoveries on it should be applauded.
Thinking on Jackie’s Harry Potter quote, all I can envision is collecting memories in a vial and placing them in a pencieve only when I want to encounter those memories again. Now that would a cool invention. Storing memories in vials so that we can view them and forget them whenever we ever so pleased.
This article was fascinating because it brings together many different aspects of science. This experiment involves genetics, emotional psychology, and optics. Lasers are being used to alter genes to stimulate neurons that play roles in the sensation of emotion. This research adds to our understanding of how to rewire circuits of the brain. In the future, this knowledge could potentially lead to the development of treatments for neurological disorders associated with decreased memory capabilities or depression. The most interesting discovery to me was that this experiment was able to show that neurons activated at the same time form connections with each other. This knowledge could be used to develop noninvasive methods for naturally dealing with bad memories and phobias by manipulating the environment around a subject. Additionally, this knowledge could be used to develop noninvasive techniques for helping addicts get over their addictions by reinforcing a negative emotion when exposed to their addiction. The biggest problem I had with this article was the ethical implications. Would prisoners be forced to go through memory manipulation to help prevent them from committing future crimes? What kind of psychological stress would this place on the brain in the short and long term? Without regulation and ethical guidelines this knowledge could be used to destroy someone’s mental well-being. While this is a very cool and exciting discovery, it is also somewhat frightening.
ReplyDeleteDepending on how you perceive those bad memories" determines how you view life. A negative mindset leads to a negative life. Therefore, you should only dwell on those "bad memories" and use them to benefit yourself and others. Also, I agree with Hannah, April, and Mike. Erasing bad memories would only cause more problems. It would cause us to become selfish, and inconsiderate. If a prisoner has his memory erased then he would not aware of his mistakes. This goes for everyone else as well! This discovery is cool, but has many moral issues and it would cause even MORE issues.
ReplyDeleteThe concept of this post was very interesting. This "ability" to change someone's mind could have either very good or very bad results. The ethical implications are immense and I feel many people would be against this, unless they were a politician. There is a reason God gave us bad memories, but if we change them or "forget", then how will we ever learn. I think that it is great for animal testing, but pushing for human testing might be going to far.
ReplyDeleteOptogenetics is an interesting technique that provides many potential benefits for those dealing with psychological trauma, depression, and PTSD. Different treatments have been used to correct these disorders including electric shock therapy and chemical concoctions. This new treatment could not only prove more beneficial in efficiency, but also effectiveness. To be able to modify behavior with minimal damage to the patient could be a medical miracle. However, the bioethical complications associated with Optogenetics are too fold. Behavior modification is a slippery slope. Erasing bad memories can be hazardous in the long run in terms of long and short term memory. Controlling the mind if not beneficial, could prove disastrous. This is the discussion of Sci Fi movies. How far is too far when it comes to erasing and/or altering memories? There isn't enough information or experimentation completed to form conclusions regarding treatment of psychological trauma, depression, and PTSD.
ReplyDeleteGetting rid of bad memories is something most of us would love to do as early as we experience them. Nobody really likes to recall on those bad memories, no matter how bad. To get rid of them would be like having a new start. However, aren't those bad memories the ones that help us make the right decision we make? At least for me, having those bad memories and the feelings associated with them definitely prevent me from making the same or similar mistakes. Although nobody really wants to have bad memories hunting them down, but do we want be repeating our mistakes? Although this is a great discovery that can lead to many more, I feel it is unnecessary for most of us. However, when it comes to our soldiers and PTSD I can’t say the same. Some of their experiences are so bad they can’t even talk about it, and even if they do most won’t really understand them. So, if using Optogenetics can improve the lives of these heroes I am all for it, as long as the side effects aren't worst than the PTSD itself. It’s hard to say definitely yes or no especially when it comes to military personal. The big question is how do you know if it really works for condition like PTSD, even if it does, how well does it work? Because it may work very well in test animals, but it’s not the same when it comes to humans and their experiences and memories. Even if it does work, us humans will never be satisfied with what we have we will be reaching for more creating more ethical issues and possibly doing more bad than good.
ReplyDeleteAt first this sounds like a great thing! There are several benefits to being able to get rid of our bad memories. Especially those memories that contain encounters with some of our greatest fear. My first memory is when I was bitten by a black widow at the age 4. That is surely something I want to forget! As much as I hate the memory, I am glad that I have it, because it has taught me to be more cautious. Even if these bad memories could be turned into good ones, will it have effects that will make us less cautious? Also, just because we have the ability to do this, but do we have the right to? Is it an invasion of a person?
ReplyDeleteAside from the fact that this is quite an invasive procedure at the present time, I do believe this technique could be very beneficial for many who are suffering from traumatic memories. However, in the ethical debate, where would society draw the line for what constitutes having a certain memory "zapped"? Certainly it would be beneficial for the soldier suffering from PTSD, but what about the teenager who just had their heart broken for the first time or the parents who just lost their only child? Of course these experiences are not the least bit pleasant, but should such experiences be erased from society or could this procedure handicap future generations? Further more, if bad memories can be translated into good memories, does it stand to reason that if some one who murdered another person in self defense turned that bad memory into a good memory that they would enjoy killing other people and find pleasure in doing so?
ReplyDeleteWow. The fact that they can zap away certain memories is kind of pretty cool. I think that this could be very beneficial if used the right way. For instance, if soldiers with PTSD had the ability to zap away their terrible memories, they could be potentially be cured from PTSD. I also think that this memory zapping could easily be used in a negative way. If someone had the ability to tamper with a person's memories, that is a lot of control being put into the hands of the person zapping. Also lets say that this becomes a procedure that is open to the public, but comes at a very high cost. Is it fair to give rich people the ability to zap away bad, hurtful memories, while the less fortunate people are forced to deal with their issues? Bad experiences and good experiences make a person a person, so what would happen if we removed bad hurtful experiences from a person? Would they then undergo a personality change? I think that this concept is really cool, I just also think "with great power comes great responsibility."
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ReplyDeleteI decided to go through some of the entries that I missed while forgetting to respond to the blog (I found that slightly ironic when I finally chose an article to respond to) and stumbled across this one. I admit that the idea of having bad memories erased is, in theory, very helpful. For those who have been traumatized by war, rape, slavery, violence, etc., it seems like the perfect opportunity to help them move past something that may be keeping them from living a full life.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as someone who has been assaulted, abused, and seen a fair amount of violence, I would not give up those memories for the world. They have shaped me into the woman I am. They are sometimes a burden that I do wish I could get rid of, but, in getting rid of them I would become another person entirely. I'm actually writing a sci-fi story that deals with losing memories and forming someone else, someone the old person with all the painful memories wouldn't recognize.
It also terrifies me what might happen with corporations and governments. If they can erase peoples bad memories, what is to say we won't end up in some horrible society like in The Giver or any of the other distopian societies. I understand where this could be very helpful and it might even save someone's life, I just think it is an ethical line we should not cross.
In my opinion I think that this experiment should continue being tested on mice. Scientists might be onto a great discovery of a cure or treatment for patients with PTSD, depression, or even anxiety problems. Its definitely a great concept however, if everyones memories were good how would we ever learn from our mistakes. Something as simple as touching a hot stove when we were little was a "bad experience" because we may have burned ourselves or scared ourselves. If we try to turn that bad memory into a good memory we will think touching a hot stove was pleasurable and try to do it again. It does frighten me a little knowing that scientists are making this possible because large corporations and even the government for that matter could possibly have access to all good memories made. Bad memories aren't the end of the world, I believe that they make us who we are today whether they were to teach us a lesson or just something to laugh about later in the future. We cannot create a utopian society by changing everyone's bad memories to good not to mention the surgery for this type of procedure is probably not the cheapest. Who knows, scientist might be able to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease while experimenting with memories.
ReplyDeleteThis is really amazing how the use of light can control cells in living tissue, typically neurons.I feel this experiment will be beneficial to patients with anxiety disorders like PTSD in order to discard their memories of traumatic events.However, we need bad memories to help us learn not to encounter such events again.For example getting burnt by an iron.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, the first thing that comes to my mind is the practicality of this disease in patients suffering from depression. How many times in today's day and age do we here about the terrible affects of patients suffering from PTSD? It almost seems like only good can come from finding a way to keep only the good memories we all have. However, I can say from personal experience that some of my most character building memories are bad memories. This article made me think of the new Pixar movie "Inside Out". Where the people that were controlling the girls functions and memories wanted to throw out all of the bad ones and only keep the happy memories. All this did was change who the girl was and did not produce anything positive for the girl. I love the idea of this new technology for its practicality in treating such severe bad memories that scar people for life, but I also believe we need to walk a fine line with this technology.
ReplyDeleteThis could be a great method in treating PTSD. We have a lot of soldiers who come back to united states haunted by what they saw oversees. This would be a great treatment to help them adjust to civilian life. There is also cases of extreme situation like kids who watch there parents die in front of them which could be effective in helping eliminate that traumatizing moment. But I wouldn't just use this as ohhhh I just want to forget about my ex or about that terrible test score I got on that exam. This could be a huge help to many people.
ReplyDeleteThis truly is an intriguing article! While reading the description my mind immediately went to thoughts about the ethical ramifications, and all the harm that could be done with this. However, as several students have pointed out there is also great good that could be done for individuals who have PTSD. I predict that if this technology was ever able to be used on humans, aside from being the topic of many conspiracy theories, it would be very heavily regulated on a level akin to narcotics, if not more so. Also an interesting thing to ponder is how this technology can be used for animals. If this technology was truly viable pet owners may now be able to neurologically alter their pets opposed to having to have them spayed or neutered. Aside from in the home this may also be able to be used in zoo's to help tame the animals, using this type of technique has endless possibilities. However, although many great things could be done with this technology as with any advance in technology it may also be used to the detriment and potential harm of many. It’s interesting to think that something so complex as the brain, much less memories could be altered in such a profound way.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting read. There are many positive uses for this but I couldn't get past some of the negatives or possible ramifications. The ethical arguments, as Josue posted above I believe would put a halt to progress in this area. As well as this, having new technology in such a useful area as this is great, but what is included in the "invasive" aspect of this treatment? Obvious;y most of us would like to erase any bad memories from our minds, and for people in extreme cases such as those with PTSD it would probably be worth any risks involved.
ReplyDeleteThis concept reminded me of the Men-in-Black memory erasing neuralyzer, which use a flash of light to eliminate memories. The technique in this study is slightly different tho, in that it converts whatever bad associations the brain may have for a particular memory into good or at least neutral ones. The process in this study is not as easy as the heading makes it sound. The researchers were not able to simply flip on a laser and magically reverse specific bad and good memories. They needed to subject the mouse to other positively associated experiences while reintroducing the bad memory while laser-activating the virus, which is a pretty elaborate set-up. This goes to show that science is no where near close to the power of the neuralyzer, which is comforting. The possible applications could be very beneficial to people that have endured traumatic experiences. Those with PTSD, kids that were abused, and others could benefit by having unhealthy memories and negative associations to benign things deleted or reversed. I also wonder if this treatment would have any effect on those with OCD. You would also have to be careful with controlling what gets deleted, as all memories can be useful teaching tools.
ReplyDeleteThis article is fascinating to me personally because I want to be in the field of neuroscience in the future and the progress with literally altering memories is astounding. My first thought was all the positive effects this would have whether it be children with nightmares or, as Sam said above, war veterans with PTSD. The possibilities of negating or altering bad memories to make them good or less damaging are endless. However, there are many ethical issues with it as well because you are literally altering the way someone perceives the life they have lived and will live in the future. So while it does seem widely beneficial in some cases, there is also the possibility for great damage to be done. As with most advances in society and science, the good and the bad have to be weighed against one another to determine if the benefits outweigh the possible negative side effects. In this instance, I dont believe I would partake because I think the "bad" memories contribute to who a person is and by altering them you are in turn altering said person.
ReplyDeleteAt first thought, erasing a bad memory seems like something that is amazing. Who would not want to erase an embarrassing moment from their life? When looking more into this though, this is an invasive procedure for one, and it is not always a good thing to erase bad memories. If I erased bad memories, such as doing bad on an exam, I would not have the drive I need to continue to push myself to do better. Having bad memories gives us a reason to better ourselves. Therefore, I think that such a progression would cause there to be too much of an alteration in a persons personality and behavior. It may do more harm than good in the long run.
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