Cannabis-like Brain Chemical Blocks Out Bad Memories Some memories, particularly those evoking fear or pain, are best forgotten. But just how the brain squelches unpleasant recollections is unclear. Now findings published today in the journal Nature suggest that natural chemicals similar to the active ingredient in marijuana help mice wipe out traumatic memories. Giovanni Marsicano and Carsten T. Wotjak of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Germany and their colleagues trained mice to associate a tone with receiving a shock. Once the actual shock was removed, normal mice eventually forgot their previous experience and came to realize that they need not be afraid of the sound anymore. Mice engineered to lack receptors for cannabinoid brain chemicals, in contrast, continued to fear the tones, suggesting that they were unable to put the negative experiences out of their minds. The team next treated normal mice with a drug that blocks cannabinoid receptors in the brain and discovered that the animals had a similar difficulty forgetting bad memories. The scientists suggest that in order to erase an unpleasant memory, the body's innate cannabinoids flood the amygdala, the brain's fear center, and inhibit the action of nerve cells. According to Pankaj Sah of the Australian National University, "Drugs that target these molecules and their receptors could be useful new treatments for anxiety disorders." Such drugs would have to stimulate cannabinoids solely in the amygdala, unlike smoking marijuana, which floods the entire brain indiscriminately, among other effects. --Sarah Graham ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- *pretends not to see the last sentence*Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Yes that last sentence is quite important. Drugs affect neurtransmitter transmissions in a general way. A neurotransmitter can affect a number of functions. Also, the amygdala is responsible for emotional memories in general. So you may be inhibiting painful memories but you may also be inhibiting happy ones too.
...personal experience. I used to smoke fairly heavy from age 19 through to 23. Decided it was time to give it up after smoking for about 4 years straight. After this, while I was getting my life together, some repressed memories come to me. Very sad ones...I think maybe I would have preferred to be blissfully ignorant and still be smoking it up than to remember and live with these thoughts for the rest of my life!!
Re: ...personal experience. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I don't know about the effects it has directly but it sure does make life barable when you think its not and its a hell of a lot better than a packet of sleeping pillsPlease Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Ohhhhh man. Has anyone else hear ever gone on a sleeping pills stint? It's amaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzzzzzzzzing and terriffying at the same time.
Sleeping pills stint? Nope...why, do you take a whole bunch and sleep a long time, then wake up only to discover all of humanity has died and you're the last remaining person so aliens abduct you for experiments? (Artificial Intelligence....Best Movie Ev-er.) Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
A.I. WAS the best movie ever - though my girlfriend at the time of seeing it SWEARS that at the end those were not Aliens who found the AI-Kid (forgot his name), and that they were other A.I.'s. Wrong, they were aliens! (she was pretty dumb anyway)
Gee NenarTronian, that's not too romantic. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I hope you don't write that on her Valentine card... Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
