Ethics

More on "ZIP" Memory Erasure

By Adam Kolber

The New York Times article on memory erasure (describing the work of Todd Sacktor's research group at Downstate) was notably short on details.  This link (from a NYT blog) provides some more information.  Here's a brief sample:

But I think that the concerns, even the deep unease, that many of the questions voice reflect two striking features of the experiments with ZIP that go to the essence of PKMzeta?s role in memory? features that are also rather surprising to most neuroscientists. These are, first, the rapidity with which long-term memories, three month-old in the rats and presumably decades-old in humans, might be erased. This happens almost immediately with the injection of the drug. Second, is the specificity. As I mentioned, short-term memory, the underlying structure of the brain, and the capacity to form new long-term memories are unaffected.

For some previous Neuroethics & Law Blog posts on the topic, see here and here.

Full post as published by Neuroethics and Law on April 19, 2009 (boomark / email).