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What I find more interesting than repressing memory is enhancing it: 'If the genetic expression of PKMzeta is amped up—by, say, genetically engineering rats to
by fferen 15y ago
What I find more interesting than repressing memory is enhancing it:
'If the genetic expression of PKMzeta is amped up—by, say, genetically engineering rats to overproduce the stuff—they become mnemonic freaks, able to convert even the most mundane events into long-term memory. (Their performance on a standard test of recall is nearly double that of normal animals.) Furthermore, once neurons begin producing PKMzeta, the protein tends to linger, marking the neural connection as a memory. “The molecules themselves are always changing, but the high level of PKMzeta stays constant,” Sacktor says. “That’s what makes the endurance of the memory possible.”'
Anyone know of any product development based on this, or if it's viable?
- apl 15y ago> they become mnemonic freaks With heavy emphasis on the freaks. Messing with specific protein kinases by simply ramping up production/phosphorylation doesn't just give you better long-term memory. It severely alters normal plasticity mechanisms, one consequence of which being selectively enhanced test performance. I'd say it might be viable, but in the 10+ year timeframe. EDIT: In general, the implications of Nader's stuff (which wasn't really new, by the way) haven't been thoroughly understood. Mechanisms underlying long-term retention are unclear; we don't even know if LTP/LTD actually mediate LTM or are mere epiphenomena/sub-mechanisms. The whole picture is very, very fuzzy. We're far from magical drugs.
- ISeemToBeAVerb 15y ago"What I find more interesting than repressing memory is enhancing it, Anyone know of any product development based on this, or if it's viable?" I'm certainly no expert in the field of neuroscience, but in terms of practical and available memory improvement, I've found that practicing mnemonic techniques is very helpful. If you're unfamiliar with this area of study, I'm basically referring to a set of techniques that aid in memory retention, mostly through creative visualization and pattern creation. If you can get past the wild claims put forth by guys like Tony Buzan, you'll find a wealth of useful information on how we can learn to remember and recall more information. I've found the books of Dominic O'Brien to be good resources. There is another book called "Moonwalking With Einstein" that shows how applied study in this area can lead to real results.
- rcthompson 15y agoThe ability to forget unimportant stuff may be important to remembering the important things in the long term. So I would never use such a drug unless it had been tested for decades and shown not to have negative long-term effects on memory.
- NinetyNine 15y agoAnother possibility is that a drug comes along and enhances cognitive function with minimal side effects, and while the long term effects are virtually unknown, users of these drugs outcompete those who don't. What do you think any appropriate response to such a situation might be?