Researchers have discovered a protein that could be used to indicate whether people's emotions and their memories can be changed or even forgotten. Long-term memories are divided into two categories: fact-based memory, such as names, places, and events, and instinctive memory such as emotions or skills. Instinctive memories can be modified, scientists believe, and such research may be able to help people suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The scientists at Cambridge University found that the presence of the "shank" protein acts as a support for receptors that determine how strong the connection is between various neurons and, as a result, may determine whether memories can be modified using the beta-blocker propranolol. If the protein is degraded, the memories become modifiable – although scientists are not yet clear whether it is directly involved in the memory breaking down, or if it's a product of a deeper reaction.

Scientists are developing a pill that could help you forget bad memories - and they have just tested it on 60 heart broken people. Dr. Alain Brunet's memory manipulation study at the McGill University in Quebec, Canada, hopes to bring about a pioneering technique for the easing of painful memories. What had previously been a science fiction fantasy, discarding unwanted memories, may become a reality for those suffering from an'adjustment disorder' after experiencing a traumatic event. Fictional memory removal: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet - 2004. Where Jim Carrey's character receives treatment to remove memories of his ex Of the 60 people who signed up for the psychiatry study all had experienced the same emotion, the betrayal of their partner ending the romantic relationship, and all wanted to forget it.