The new direction helps people to erase painful memories

Scientists try to find a way to help the brain get rid of fear, obsessed with painful memories.

>>> Science gives a new way of "brainwashing"

Removing painful memories is the idea that only existed in fictional films, but recently, Dutch scientists have found new therapies, partly to help patients forget the unhappy event. By using short-term seizure therapy , scientists have been able to interrupt the ability to recall sad memories in the brain.

Theoretically, memorization is ensured by reinforcing threads between nerve cells, especially in the hippocampus. The hippocampus plays an important role in keeping, recalling emotional and cognitive memories. Any emotional situation related to alertness or threat can change the function of the hippocampus, change the effectiveness, the nature of keeping and recalling information.

It is from this idea that scientist Marijn Kroes and colleagues at Radboud Nijmegen University (Netherlands) have discovered a new method - using electric pulse therapy or electrosurgery (ECT) has a stimulating effect on the brain, affecting different areas of the brain to break the process of rebuilding memories.

Kroes experimented with 39 patients with severe depression and was always obsessed with sad memories. First, he asked the patient to watch two videos, one about the story of a child who had an accident and had surgery to remove his legs. The remaining video tells of a pair of sisters who were abducted and sexually abused.

A week later, the patients were divided into 3 groups A, B, and C randomly and were asked to recall details about one of the two stories above. Group A and B members are treated with ECT (ECT works by placing an electrode on the forehead and bringing electric current through the brain, creating a seizure that lasts 30-60 seconds) right after telling the sentence. story.

The next day, Group A had to complete a multiple choice test on the two stories. Surprisingly, they didn't remember it completely.

Group B was also treated with ECT but after recounting the story for 90 minutes. However, they still remember the story, the amount of false information. Group C is not treated with ECT so their ability to re-reinforce their memories is still good.

Through the experiment, scientists believe that this method can be used while finding out which drugs or inhibitors to reverse the memory process of the brain. But to get the right drug, scientists have to spend a lot of time and effort.