ACKNOWLED

GEMENT
I would like to express my special thanks to my school’s
principal ‘MISS SARASWATHI’, to the management
team of our school and my biology mam MS. SUJITHA
who gave me the golden opportunity to do this
wonderful project on the topic “Erasing and Implanting
Human Memory”, which also helped me in doing a lot
of Research and I came to know about so many new
things.

Secondly I would also like to thank my parents,

BROTHER and friends who helped me a lot in finishing
this project within the limited time.
 ABSTRACT
In this project I will describe about how to “Erasing and
Implanting Human Memory”. For forgetting a specific
memory, the light is activated to control the neurons that
release certain chemicals, such as alpha-CaM kinase II,
that erase memories. Alternatively, the light can also be
used to deactivate neurons responsible for memory
storage, preventing the memory from being recalled.

To implant memory the first process is to make people

perceive the event as plausible, the second is to make
people believe it is likely to have happened to them and
the third step is to help people interpret thoughts and
fantasies about the event as memories.
 INTRODU
CTION
This project describes how to utilize the memory
formation mechanism discovered in recent years together
with optogenetics, a technology used to manipulate
human brain cells, to cure Post-traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD).

It has been discovered that memory is stored in brain

cells called neurons that physically reside together,
rather than scattered throughout the brain. Such groups
of brain cells are called engrams, referring to where
memory is stored. As a result, it is possible to target an
engram. We can manipulate them in such a way that
people can forget specific memories either temporarily
or permanently. Since only specific brain cells related to
specific memories are targeted, all the other memories
are intact. However, that isn’t the best part. We can plant
good memories into the human brain as well!

The memory-editing technique, which is called decoded

neurofeedback or DecNef, was created for the treatment
of PTSD. It uses an electromagnet similar to an MRI
scanner, to measure various changes in the brain, such
as the level of oxygen in the blood.

The data gathered by the scanner is sent in real time to

an artificially intelligent imagine learning agent that
maps which areas of the brain are active when particular
memories are stimulated.

The above are achieved via optogenetics, a technology

using light to control neurons, the brain cells responsible
for processing and transmitting information. The process
starts with identification of the neurons associated with a
particular engram that is responsible for a specific piece
of memory. Then, light sensitive opsins are inserted into
the engram, turning the neurons in that area light
sensitive. After that, fiber optics or micro LEDs are
implanted to target the light sensitive neurons. The light
is controlled by a microchip to turn on or off those
neurons to manipulate memory.

For forgetting a specific memory, the light is activated to

control the neurons that release certain chemicals, such
as alpha-CaM kinase II, that erase memories.
Alternatively, the light can also be used to deactivate
neurons responsible for memory storage, preventing the
memory from being recalled.

For implanting good memories, the process is more

complicated. The subject is prepared with memories of
good feelings, such as a delicious dinner being served.
Later, the subject is put in another environment, such as
the dirty small room where his poor family lives.

The light is then turned on to recall the good feeling in

this environment, effectively creating the false memory
that the good feeling took place in this environment. As a
result, the subject likes this environment.

After the traumatic memory is removed, and the good

memory is implanted, the PTSD patients are able to
escape from the previous event, and restore their life.
 INDEX
Content:

 Certificate
 Acknowledgement
 Abstract
 Introduction
 PTSD
 Cause
 How memory cells work?
 Implanting memory
 Implication
 Bibliography
 PTSD
Fear triggers many split-second reactions in the body to
prepare to defend against the incoming danger or to
avoid it. This “fight-or-flight” response is a normal and
healthy reaction meant to protect a person from harm.
But in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this
reaction has altered or damaged. People who have PTSD
experience fear and stress even after the danger has
passed for a very long time. It interferes with everyday
life, because these people cannot stop the recollection of
the horrifying memories that happened.

Most people who see traumatic events don’t develop

PTSD, but nonetheless, PTSD develops after an event
that involved harm or the threat of harm. The person who
develops PTSD could be a victim or witness of the
terrifying event, but the person will experience the event
over and over. Currently, the main treatments are to visit
a psychologist or counselor to help the brain “get over”
the event, or to go to a psychiatrist to take some
medication to help alleviate the stress. There are many
other therapies such as art therapy to relieve stress
indirectly.
Symptoms of PTSD may include re-living the event,
avoidance of things that remind you of the traumatic
event, negative changes toward beliefs and attitudes, and
feeling keyed up.

As shown in the diagram here, many Americans have

experienced trauma. About 60% of men and 50% of
women experience at least one traumatic event. Of those
who do, about 8% of men and 20% of women will
develop PTSD. For some events, like combat and sexual
assault, more people develop PTSD.

3.5% of adults in USA are estimated to be suffering from

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) over the course of
a given year. A new effective treatment would mark a
milestone for mental-health and well-being.
 CAUSE
Studying parts of the brain involved in dealing with fear and
stress helps researchers to better understand possible causes of
PTSD. One such brain structure is the amygdala, known for its
role in emotion, learning, and memory. The amygdala appears
to be active in fear acquisition, or learning to fear an event
(such as touching a hot stove), as well as in the early stages of
fear extinction, or learning not to fear. Another such brain
structure is the hippocampus. The hippocampus is important
for forming memories, but in people with PTSD, the
hippocampus has a significantly lower volume.

Stathmin is necessary for the creation of fear memories. Some

people have more stathmin in the brain than others, and thus
are more prone to PTSD. GRP is another signaling chemical in
the brain released during emotional events. A lack of GRP may
result in less capability to cope with the traumatic event.
Serotonin also plays a role in the happiness of the person. If
serotonin levels are low, then the person is more likely to
develop PTSD.

Storing fear extinction memories and dampening the original

fear response appears to involve the prefrontal cortex area of
the brain, involved in tasks such as decision-making, problem-
solving, and judgment. Certain areas of the prefrontal cortex
play slightly different roles.
 HOW MEMORY
WORKS?
The term “engram” is used to describe where memory is
stored. There are many engrams in different regions of the
brain, each used for a different purpose. For instance, the
amygdala is responsible for fear memories and the interpositus
nucleus is responsible for conditioned stimulus. Through
experiments in mice, researchers discovered that neurons
associated with memory can be boosted with a protein called
CREB, and memories can be erased with a protein called
alpha-CaM kinase II. Also, those neurons can be activated to
form false memory.

Remembering
For short term memories, a protein called Kinase A is
produced. However, sometimes, Kinase A is produced in such
abundance that it causes MAPK, another protein, to be
produced. MAPK causes a protein called CREB to be
produced. CREB is essential for forming long-term memories.

Forgetting

Evolution of human beings allows people to forget things

because the quality of life rests with the selective erasure of
memory. Recent research suggests that fear memories can be
near instantly erased and that specific proteins have significant
powers to abolish them. This happens through production of a
protein called alpha-CaM kinase II. Scientists have found that
this protein can be used for selective deletion of fear memories
in mice.

False Memory

People are found to have false memory too. For example, in

many court cases, defendants were found guilty based on
testimony from witnesses who were sure of their recollections,
but DNA evidence proved otherwise. Researchers in MIT found
that by reactivating neurons associated with a particular
memory, false memory could be planted into the brains of mice.
 IMPLANTING
MEMORY
Specific memories, such as a visit to a friend, are saved
in interconnected neurons called an engram. When that
memory is being recalled, the engram becomes active.
On the other hand, when those exact neurons are
reactivated in someone else’s head, another person can
experience that memory. Also, memories are interlinked.
For example, if somebody walks on a quiet street every
day, that environment is stored in the person’s memory.
If that person is robbed on that street one day, the
terrible experience is linked to the memory of that street.
Hence, the next time the person walks on the same street,
that person will feel unease.

Based on the theory above, a group of neuroscientists in

MIT let by Nobel Laureate Susumu Tonegawa
successfully implanted false memories in mice’s brain.
Tonegawa and his group first put a mouse in a chamber.
While the mouse is memorizing the chamber, they
marked the mouse’s engram in the hippocampus with a
special protein called ChR2. Now they know which
neurons in the engram is involved for memorizing the
chamber. Those neurons are marked in white dots as
shown in the picture.

Next, they put the mouse in a second chamber that is very

different from the first chamber. Simultaneously,
Tonegawa and his group activated the neurons marked in
the previous step with a technology called optogenetics.
We will talk about optogenetics in a separate section.
This technology allows people to use light to activate
specific neurons being targeted. While those neurons are
activated, the mouse recalls the environment in the first
chamber, even though they are physically in the second
chamber. At the same time, the mouse is electrocuted.
This caused a memory of fear to be stored in the mouse’s
memory.

Now, the mouse is placed back into chamber 1, where

they never actually experienced an electrical shock
before. The mouse froze, as if it were electrocuted in
Chamber 1. The false memory was successfully
implanted into the mouse’s brain!

IMPLICATION
The technology proposed on this website brings health
back to patients suffering from PTSD. They can now
choose what memory to forget, and what memory to
implant. It provides fairness to the people who were not
lucky enough to experience the happy life other people
did. They can have a chance to choose a better memory,
and a better life. Large expenses spent on caring for and
helping cure PTSD patients can be saved. Furthermore,
those people are willing back to school or the workplace,
allowing them to contribute to society.

However, there are always two sides to a coin, and this

solution is no exception. An instantly thought of one will
be the fear of mind control. This technique provides a
free pass to an apocalypse where everyone’s brains are
enslaved. When this technology is employed for illegal
purposes, people’s memory can be wiped out for illegal
motives, and fake memories leading to criminal activities
can be injected.
This will also lead to a lot of debatable topics. For
example, if a person has any wrongdoing based on his
manipulated memory, who is to be responsible? Who is
responsible to make the final decision on which part of
the memory shall be erased? Who is responsible for the
consequences of the new memories being implanted? If
the technology is defective, creating unwanted effects on
the user’s memory and causing unwanted behaviors, who
takes the responsibility? Do parents have the right to
decide whether their children should forget certain
things, and remember certain fake memories instead?

Essentially, we have to ask ourselves a very fundamental

question: do we wish for the human being’s mind to be
programmable like a computer? Is it a positive or
negative thing to have such technology available?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
https://www.researchgate.net

https://prezi.com

https://dailystar.co.uk

https://en.wikipedia.org