Neuroscientist Steve Ramirez is working towards developing technology that can intentionally rewrite unwanted memories, a concept inspired by movies like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Inception”.
Ramirez, who led studies in mice to implant false memories and identify how they form, aims to create tools for people struggling with PTSD or neurodegenerative disorders. His research could help predict Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia before symptoms appear.
In one experiment, Ramirez’s team identified a cluster of neurons that encode fear memories in mice. When they stimulated this area, the mice recalled the associated memory. The researchers then attempted to create false memories by exposing the mice to different environments while simulating the original memory with laser stimulation.
The surprising result? The mice formed new memories that were indistinguishable from real ones. Ramirez’s work has shed light on how memories change and are modified as they’re retrieved. He believes this understanding can be harnessed to help people update negative experiences into positive ones, rather than erasing them entirely.
While the technology is still in its infancy, Ramirez notes that the study of neuroscience is relatively young compared to physics. His work contributes to our growing knowledge of how memory shapes us and may one day allow us to edit and manipulate our own experiences.
Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/health/article/memory-cells-laser-hippocampus