The human genome project has yielded many discoveries about complex human characteristics, but using this information to identify new drugs has largely eluded scientists. Now, researchers have described compounds related to human memory, one of which produced a drug-induced reduction in negative memories.
The researchers, from the University of Basel in Switzerland, believe their findings could aid in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They describe their results in a study published in the journal PNAS.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, PTSD affects around 7.7 million American adults, but children can also suffer from the condition.
The organization says that PTSD symptoms can be grouped into three categories:
- Re-experiencing symptoms: flashbacks, bad dreams, scary thoughts
- Avoidance symptoms: avoiding reminders of the experience, feeling numb emotionally, experiencing guilt or depression, losing interest, trouble remembering the event, and
- Hyperarousal symptoms: easily frightened, feeling anxious, difficulty sleeping.
The researchers, including Prof. Andreas Papassotiropoulos from the Department of Psychology at the University of Basel, conducted a multinational collaborative study to assess the genetic underpinnings of emotionally aversive memory, which is linked to PTSD.
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