Unit3-A-Pill-To-Forget

1Unit3APillToForget?Ifthereweresomethingyoucouldtakeafterexperiencingapainfulortraumaticeventthatwouldpermanentlyweakenyourmemoryofwhathadjusthappened,wouldyoutakeit?AscorrespondentLesleyStahlfirstreportedlastfall,it'sanideathatmaynotbesofaroff,andthathassomecriticsalarmed,andsometraumavictimsfilledwithhope.Icouldn'tgetmybodytostopshaking.Iwastrembling,constantlytrembling.Memoriesofitwouldjustcomeback,reoccurringoverandoverandover,subwayconductorBeatrizArguedasrecalls.AyearagoSeptember,BeatrizwasdrivinghernormalrouteontheRedLineinBostonwhenoneofherworstfearscametopass:Uponenteringoneofthebusieststations,amanjumpedinfrontofmytrain,tocommitsuicide,sheexplains.Beatrizsawthemanjump.WesortofmadeeyecontactandthenIfeltthethudfromhimhittingthetrainandthenthecracklingsoundunderneaththetrainand,then,ofcourse,myheartstartsthumping,sherecalls.Shecameintoouremergencyroomafterwards,veryupset.Nophysicalinjury.Entirelyapsychologicaltrauma,saysDr.RogerPitman,apsychiatristatHarvardMedicalSchoolwhohasstudiedandtreatedpatientswithpost-traumaticstressdisorder,orPTSD,for25years.They'recaughtupsomuchwiththispasteventthatit'sconstantlyintheirmind,Pitmanexplains.They'relivingitoverandoverandoverasifit'shappeningagain.Andtheyjustcan'tgetinvolvedinreallife.WhenBeatrizarrivedintheemergencyroom,Pitmanenrolledherinanexperimentalstudyofadrugcalledpropranolol,amedicationcommonlyusedforhighbloodpressure...andunofficiallyforstagefright.Pitmanthoughtitmightdosomethingalmostmagical–trickBeatriz'sbrainintomakingaweakermemoryoftheeventshehadjustexperienced.Inthestudy,whichisstillunderway,halfthesubjectsgetpropranolol;halfgetaplacebo.AskedwhetherheknowsifBeatrizgotthedrugortheplacebo,Dr.Pitmansayshehasnoideaandneitherdoesshe,andthattheresearchteamwon'tknowforanothertwoyears.IfPitmanisright,theresultscouldfundamentallychangethewayaccidentvictims,rapevictims,evensoldiersaretreatedaftertheyexperiencetrauma.Thestorybeginswithsomesurprisingdiscoveriesaboutmemory.ItturnsoutourmemoriesaresortoflikeJello–theytaketimetosolidifyinourbrains.Andwhilethey'resetting,it'spossibletomakethemstrongerorweaker.Italldependsonthestresshormoneadrenaline.ThemanwhodiscoveredthisisJamesMcGaugh,aprofessorofneurobiologyattheUniversityofCalifornia,Irvine.2McGaughstudiesmemoryinrats,andheinvitedStahltowatchthemakingofaratmemory–inthiscasehowaratwho'sneverbeeninthistankofwaterbeforelearnshowtofindaclearplasticplatformjustbelowthesurface.He'llswimaroundrandomly,McGaughexplains.Theratcannotseetheplatform,sincehiseyesareonthetopofhishead.Theratwillswimaroundtheedgeforalongtime,untileventuallyheventuresoutandbychancebumpsintotheplatform.Thenextday,he'llfindtheplatformalittlebitfaster.Butanotherrat,whohadlearnedwheretheplatformwasthedayprior,andthenreceivedashotofadrenalineimmediatelyafterwards,todayswaminstantlytotheplatform.Adrenalineactuallymadethisrat'sbrainrememberbetter,andMcGaughbelievesthesamethinghappensinpeople.SupposeIsaidtoyou,'Youknow,I'vewatchedyourprogramsalotovertheyears,andalthoughitpainsmetohavetotellyouthis,Ithinkyou'reoneofworstpeopleI'veeverseenon…nowdon'ttakeit,don'ttakeitpersonally,'McGaughsays.So,mystresssystemwouldgointooverdrive,noquestion,Stahlsays.Evenwithmytellingyouthatit'snottrue,there'snothingtokeepyoufromblushing,fromfeelingwarmallover,McGaughpointsout.That'stheadrenaline.AndIdaresaythatyou'regonnaremembermyhavingsaidthatlongafteryou'veforgottentheotherdetailsofourdiscussionhere.Iguaranteeit.McGaughsaysthat'swhywerememberimportantandemotionaleventsinourlivesmorethanregularday-to-dayexperiences.Thenextstepinhisresearchwastoseewhatwouldhappenwhenadrenalinewasblocked;hestartedexperimentingwithpropranolol.Propranololsitsonthatnervecellandblocksit,sothat,thinkofthisasbeingakey,andthisisalock,theholeinthelockisblockedbecauseofpropranololsittingthere.Soadrenalinecanbepresent,butitcan'tdoitsjob,McGaughexplains.McGaughshowedStahlathirdratthathadlearnedwheretheplatformwasonthepreviousdayandthenreceivedaninjectionofpropranolol.Thenextday,theratswamaroundtheedge,asifhehadforgottenthereeverwasaplatformoutthere.AcrossthecountryatHarvard,RogerPitmanreadMcGaugh'sstudiesandalightbulbwenton.WhenIreadaboutthis,Isaid,'Thishasgottobehowpost-traumaticstressdisorderworks.'Becausethinkaboutwhathappenstoaperson.Firstofall,theyhaveahorriblytraumaticevent,andtheyhaveintensefearandhelplessness.Sothatintensefearandhelplessnessisgonnastimulateadrenaline,Pitmansays.Andthenwhatdowefindthreemonthsorsixmonthsor20yearslater?Excessivelystrongmemories.Pitmanfiguredhecouldblockthatcyclebygivingtraumavictimspropranololrightaway...beforeadrenalinecouldmakethememoriestoostrong.Hestartedrecruitingpatientsforasmallpilotstudy.OneofthefirstwasKathleen3Logue,aparalegalwhohadbeenknockeddowninthemiddleofabusyBostonstreetbyabicyclist.Hejusthitthewholeleftsideofmybody.AnditseemedlikeforeverthatIwaslayinginthemiddleofStateStreet,downtownBoston,Logueremembers.Shesaysshewasterrifiedthatshewasjustgoingtogetrunover.Aspartofthestudy,Loguetookpropranololfourtimesadayfor10days.Liketheotherswhogotthedrug,t