Researchers have identified two ways we can forget a memory that causes unpleasant or painful sensations. These findings may lead to the development of new therapies aimed at people with disorders of memory control.
There are two ways to do it
“This is the first demonstration of two distinct mechanisms that cause such forgetting: one by shutting down the remembering system, and the other by facilitating the remembering system to occupy awareness with a substitute memory,” said lead author Roland Benoit of the Medical Research council (MRC) Cognition an Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge.
In two different parts of the brain
It is possible to deliberately block memories from our consciousness. Neuroimaging studies have captured brain systems involved in deliberate forgetting, but they did not determine which cognitive tactics were used or what was happening at a neural level. The researchers now believe that how we go about forgetting, which of the two ways we choose, involves two different neural pathways.
Each is equally effective
Whether we block a memory or substitute it, both strategies are equally effective. Memory suppression occurs in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that is critical for remembering past events. Memory substitution happens in the caudal prefrontal cortex and midventrolateral prefrontal cortex. These areas of the brain are key to pulling a memory into consciousness in front of other memories.
Could be used to treat PTSD
"A better understanding of these mechanisms and how they break down may ultimately help understanding disorders that are characterized by a deficient regulation of memories, such as post-traumatic stress disorder," explained Benoit.
"Knowing that distinct processes contribute to forgetting may be helpful because people may naturally be better at one approach or the other."
Source: MedicalNewsToday, Neuron
