Spotless Mind? Unwanted Memories Might Be Erasable Without Harming Other Brain Functions

The brain acts as a computer to both store information and process that information.

in the same cells

found that a molecule known to preserve memories – PKMzeta – specifically stores complex, high-quality memories that provide detailed information about an animal's location, fears, and actions

but does not control the ability to process or express this information.

"If further work confirms this view we can expect to one day see therapies based on PKMzeta memory erasure," Dr. Fenton suggests. "Negative memory erasing not only could help people forget painful experiences, but might be useful in treating depression, general anxiety, phobias, post-traumatic stress, and addictions," he adds.

while sparing the computational function of brain