Study finds new method for blocking harmful memories

Researchers have revealed insights into a potential method of blocking harmful memories associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and drug addiction.

A team at Western University have revealed a common mechanism in a region of the brain called the pre-limbic cortex that plays a key role in controlling recollections of aversive experiences associated with PTSD, as well as rewarding memories linked to addiction.

By stimulating a sub-type of dopamine receptor in this part of the brain, scientists were able to suppress the spontaneous recollection of both types of memory among rats, without permanently altering the memories.

Presently, the mechanisms controlling recollection are poorly understood, meaning this could open the door for numerous useful insights.

Nicole Lauzon, a PhD candidate at Western's Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, said: "If we are able to block the recall of those memories, then potentially we have a target for drugs to treat these disorders."

NHS data suggests that PTSD affects 30 percent of people who witness a traumatic event and is more common among women than men.