Technique devised to erase painful memories ethical?

The study has sparked debate among researchers from different countries who are now discussing pros and cons linked with the research.

Pill to wipe out painful memories in offing
The U.S. researchers are developing a drug which might probe into an individual’s mind and completely erase the memories of traumatic events.

Researchers aver that they are working on ways to remove the proteins from the brain’s fear centre, which can wipe out the memories of traumatic incidences forever in sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder, the Baltimore Sun reported.

Professor Richard Huganir, professor and director of neuroscience department at the Hopkins School of Medicine, along with his colleagues discovered a 'window of vulnerability,’ when unique receptor proteins were created in the brain as a result of painful memories.

Because these proteins are unstable, they can be easily removed with the help of drugs.

"When a traumatic event occurs, it creates a fearful memory that can last a lifetime and have a debilitating effect on a person's life," the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.

He said his findings "raise the possibility of manipulating those mechanisms with drugs to enhance behavioural therapy for such conditions as post-traumatic stress disorder."
The study report is published in the October issue of the journal ‘Science Express.’

The dark side
The pill, apparently designed to erase memories of a bad experience, can have damaging effect on one’s psychological well being, preventing them to learn from their mistakes, the study researchers have warned.

However, not many are willing to count upon the technique as the human trials may stir ethical concerns.

Experts have also raised doubt that the process might include the unintended “eradication of positive memories” too.

Dr. Daniel Sokol, a lecturer in medical ethics at St George's, University of London, said, “Removing bad memories is not like removing a wart or a mole. It will change our personal identity since who we are is linked to our memories.

“It may perhaps be beneficial in some cases, but before eradicating memories, we must reflect on the knock-on effects that this will have on individuals, society and our sense of humanity.”

Paul Root Wolpe, of the Centre for Ethics, at Emory University in Atlanta, said, "Human identity is tied into memory. It creates our distinctive personalities. It's a troublesome idea to begin to be able to manipulate that, even if for the best of motives."