Beta-blocker 'erases' unpleasant memories Dutch scientists claim to have shown that the beta-blocker propranolol can "erase" unpleasant memories - a discovery which "opens up new avenues for providing a long-term cure for patients with emotional disorders". Professor Merel Kindt and her team from the University of Amsterdam first subjected human volunteers to a "fear …
"those who'd taken propranolol were simply less afraid than those who hadn't." less affraid doesnt equate to not affraid at all. and since there was obviously SOME fear from something it simply doesnt work! and giving people betablockers just makes them numb anyway.
thats like saying 'wow, heroine can stop people getting stressed out'
Obviously this is my subjective experience, but I was prescribed propanolol for anxiety (note: not hypertension) in my twenties. It seemed a little unconventional but previous treatment with SSRIs hadn't been terribly helpful. My experience was generally quite positive with minimal side effects. Obviously the paper reports a very specific set of circumstances where propanolol is given and a memory reactivated - but this seems quite a promising avenue to pursue.
The reaction to unpleasant situations is part of the learning experience; suppressing it could leave someone more vulnerable to the real world.
I take a similar beta blocker (bisoprolol) to control a cardiac arrhythmia, and have found that, for an hour or two after my daily dose, I am less bothered about unpaid bills and the like. This has sometimes led to problems.
This use of beta blockers may have some function in the treatment of people who are badly distressed by a very serious incident, but I hope it will not be used as a panacea, as too many drugs are.
You cite being given SSRIs, and an extremely off-label prescription of an antihypertensive drug, for an anxiety problem. Were you ever prescribed an anxiolytic?
No, I don't think it's a good idea for anyone to be researching how to edit human memory. Who do *you* feel you can trust with that power? Why?
"The reaction to unpleasant situations is part of the learning experience"
Err, so what you're trying to say is that people who were rape victims, or suffering from PTSD or from any myriad number of disorders should not be allowed to seek treatment from an event that by all accounts should not have happened to them?
Whilst it's always valuable to have research peer-reviewed, this is by no means the first discovery of this effect. Researchers at Harvard were studying it five years ago: http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2004/03.18/01-ptsd.html and in Montreal three years ago: http://www.chrcrm.org/main/modules/pageworks/index.php?page=002&id=1374
Not off label at all. The British National Formulary says quite clearly under Indications and dose:
"Anxiety with symptoms such as palpitation, sweating, tremor, 40 mg once daily, increased to 40 mg 3 times daily if necessary"
Section 4.1.2 on Anxiolytics says
"Beta-blockers (e.g. propranolol, oxprenolol) (section 2.4) do not affect psychological symptoms, such as worry, tension, and fear, but they do reduce autonomic symptoms, such as palpitation and tremor; they do not reduce non-autonomic symptoms, such as muscle tension. Beta-blockers are therefore indicated for patients with predominantly somatic symptoms; this, in turn, may prevent the onset of worry and fear. Patients with predominantly psychological symptoms may obtain no benefit."
It sounds like entirely appropriate prescribing to me... most other anxiolytics are of the same family as Valium
If you read my post all the way through, you would find I did not exclude any appropriate treatment for traumatised patients. I merely suggested that beta blockers should not be used as a panacea, as some drugs have been with unfortunate consequences,
As for the learning experience, it is, at all levels, the basis of our lives. Starting with our parents (or carers), siblings, then childhood friends, teachers, more friends, colleagues, strangers (friendly or otherwise), work, vehicles and other machinery, the media, world politics, whatever has shaped our view of the world.
For myself, I hate the idea of losing any of that, but I can also see that it may sometimes be necessary to help some who are distressed. I merely advised caution against yet another magic pill.
No one is forgetting anything ... they are just breaking the subconscious association spider = electric shock.
After that the spider triggered discomfort which was enough to at least partially sustain the conditioning without the shocks.
This shows that taking a beta blocker will speed up desensitization. This could be very useful when someone is trying to overcome a traumatic event or a phobia.
I just miss the part where memory is affected?
He has really been there [to Mars]! Someone has erased his memory!
Use your head you dumb bitch! He's just acting out the secret-agent portion of his ego-trip!
I'm afraid that's not possible...
Why not?
BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T IMPLANTED IT YET!
(gives nod to Arnie :) )
I believe Beta blockers worked by 'relaxing' your heart (well stops it responding to stress and keeps it autonomic) , basically stops it racing - and therefore the nervous cascade a racing heart kicks off. You know the feeling, you get nervous, you feel your heart rate go up, you feel even worse, your heart rate goes up - basically panic.
Even when you've just had a shock and then you realize you're fine - you still have that little period where you don't feel right as you wait for your heart rate to go back down.
Anyway, response that was seen here, as has been pointed out, is f'in obvious. What would be more useful is if it carried on having an effect days, weeks, months later after the pill was taken. Or more interestingly if taking them whilst looking at the pictures and being shocked, caused the fear to be 'less imprinted' on the subject.
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