通过心理治疗和药物，可以“编辑”人的记忆

A Montreal researcher says he has found a way to take the emotional sting out a bad breakup by "editing" memories using therapy and a beta blocker.

加拿大蒙特利尔一名研究人员称，他找到了一种方法，通过心理治疗和beta受体阻断剂药物来“编辑”人的记忆，消除分手失恋的情感创伤。

Dr Alain Brunet has spent over 15 years studying post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), working with combat veterans, people who have experienced terror attacks and crime victims.

阿兰·布鲁内博士(Dr Alain Brunet)花了15年时间研究创伤后压力症候群(PTSD)，对参加过战争或者经历过恐怖袭击的人，以及罪案受害者等进行研究。

Much of his research has centred on the development of what he calls "reconsolidation therapy", an innovative approach that can help remove emotional pain from a traumatic memory.

他的研究很大部分集中在他所说的“再固化疗法”的发展上。这是一种革新性的治疗方法，能够帮助消除创伤记忆当中的情感伤痛。

At the heart of his work is a humble pharmaceutical - propranolol - a beta blocker long used to treat common physical ailments like hypertension and migraines, but which research now suggests has a wider application.

他工作当中的一个重心是一种不起眼的药物“普萘洛尔(Propranolol)”——这是一种乙型交感神经阻断剂，多年以来一直被用于高血压和偏头痛等一般疾病的治疗，但是目前的研究显示，它还有更广泛的用途。

The reconsolidation method involves taking propranolol about an hour before a therapy session where the patient is asked to write a detailed account of their trauma and then read it aloud.

这种记忆再固化治疗方法，是要在心理治疗前一小时左右服用普萘洛尔，然后病人在治疗中会被要求将自己的创伤经历详细地写下来，再大声读出来。

"Often when you recall memory, if there's something new to learn, this memory will unlock and you can update it, and it will be saved again," the Canadian clinical psychologist tells the BBC.

“很多时候当你回想一段记忆，如果有新的东西可以记，那这段记忆就会解锁，然后你就可以去更新它，然后它会重新储存，”这名加拿大临床心理医生向BBC表示。

"We're using this enhanced understanding on how memories are formed and how they are unlocked and updated and saved again - we're essentially using this recent knowledge coming out of neuroscience to treat patients," says Dr Brunet.

“我们正在利用记忆如何形成，以及它是如何被解锁、更新然后重新储存等这些来自神经科学的最新知识治疗病人，”布鲁内医生说。

Memories, their neutral, factual elements, are saved in the brain's hippocampus. But the emotional tone of the memory is saved in its amygdala.

在人的记忆当中，那些核心事实部分是储存在大脑的海马体中，而记忆当中有感情色彩的部分则是储存在杏仁核体当中。

"Imagine that you are shooting a movie in the old-fashioned way so you have the image and and the sound and they are on two separate channels," he says.

“想象一下，你在用老式方法拍摄一部电影，你的影像和声音分别是在两条不同的轨道上，”他说。

When a person relives their traumatic memory they experience both channels. Propranolol helps target one channel - the emotional aspect of memory - inhibiting its reconsolidation and suppressing its pain.

当一个人回忆自己的创伤经历时，是会再次重历两条轨道的。普萘洛尔帮助锁定其中一条——就是记忆当中的情感部分——抑制它的再固化，压制它的痛楚。

A memory recalled under the influence of the medication will then be "saved" by the brain in its new, less emotional version.

在这种药物作用下，记忆将会以一种感情色彩相对不强烈的新版本重新“储存”在大脑里。

His research suggests about 70% of patients found relief within a few sessions of reconsolidation therapy.

他的研究显示，大约70%的病人在几次再固化治疗之后会找到解脱。

His Montreal-based lab is currently recruiting about 60 people who have suffered infidelity or some other form of deception in a relationship for a new reconsolidation therapy study.

他位于蒙特利尔的实验室，目前正召集了大约60人进行一种新的记忆再固化治疗研究，他们都是在爱情关系中被背叛或者受到其他方式的欺骗。

Dr Brunet is also hopeful the scope of reconsolidation therapy can be expanded further, used to treat phobias, addiction, complicated grief.

布鲁内医生还希望，记忆再固化治疗的视野能够再一次扩大，用于研究恐惧症、成瘾症以及复杂的忧郁情绪问题等等。

"Any type of distress which emanates from an emotional event," he says.

他说，希望这种疗法可以用于“任何一种由一起情绪激烈的事件引发的苦恼”。