TED Talks Daily Can we edit memories? | Amy Milton
May 19, 2020
In this discussion, neurologist Amy Milton shares her groundbreaking research on memory editing aimed at alleviating the impact of traumatic experiences and PTSD. She reveals how trauma rewires the brain and explores innovative methods, like using visual distractions during memory recall, to reduce distressing flashbacks. The conversation dives into the complex interplay between memory, identity, and mental health, raising intriguing ethical questions about the potential to modify our recollections and reshape our emotional responses.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
PTSD and Memory
- PTSD can be seen as a disorder of maladaptive memory, where learned responses persist inappropriately.
- Memory is not monolithic; it comprises different types, including declarative (conscious, expressible) and non-declarative (unconscious, like motor skills).
Emotional Memory
- Emotional memory, a type of non-declarative memory, involves learning the emotional significance of environmental cues.
- Examples include positive associations with the smell of baking bread and negative ones with the buzzing of a wasp.
Stress and Brain Regions
- Stress impacts the hippocampus (declarative memory) and amygdala (emotional memory) differently.
- High stress impairs the hippocampus's ability to store event details, while strengthening the amygdala's emotional response.