Memory

Dr. Todd Sacktor at State University of New York–Brooklyn has gone one step further. He has hypothesized that some synapses in the brain contain a special enzyme called protein kinase M zeta (PKM zeta), which allows them to store long-term memories. It works, essentially, like a computer's hard disk. "The patterns of the 0s and 1s store the memory," says Sacktor. "If a synapse has PKMZ it's twice as strong as one that does not. And it's the pattern of whether this enzyme is in the synapses that stores long term memories." Enzymes can be inhibited with drugs injected into particular areas of the brain, Sacktor says. In his experiments, Sacktor taught rats how to run a maze, then used drugs to inhibit the enzyme in their brains—thereby erasing their memories of the maze (a related lab will soon test the enzymes on nonhuman primates). Within a few minutes of the drug wearing off, the rats were able to store new memories on the synapses, so no damage was done to the brain.

Humans have this same enzyme, Sacktor says, so theoretically, the memory-erasure part of Dollhouse is possible, though, unlike the show, no fancy-looking equipment is needed to do it. But using the drugs doesn't selectively erase memories; it will erase all memories from the area of the brain where it is injected—injecting into the hippocampus, for example, will remove all episodic memories about a person's life, but leave them with a general knowledge about the world. If taken orally, however, the drugs will erase all memories, leaving the subject like a baby, unable to speak or walk. "I think it's quite possible that you would simply have to re-teach somebody everything," says Sacktor. "You might as well just be a [normal] spy. Why erase someone's memory and replant it if it's going to take years to restore all the basic knowledge?" (from article in Popular Mechanics, author Erin McCarthy)

Gilbert, Susan, Nelson, Aaron P. Harvard Medical School Guide to Achieving Optimal Memory. Columbus, McGraw Hill: 2005. his is the latest, best information on how to make your memory the best it can be, from a leading doctor in the field. It covers how much lifestyle factors such as sleep, nutrition, and exercise, affect memory, how to tell if you need to see a doctor, and gives proven ways to build your memory power. It is written by a world-renowned authority at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's, consistently ranked as one of the leading hospitals in the U.S.


Memory, both its importance and its fallibility, is starting to play a larger role in my work. Memory triggers, the facets of certain memories which either deteriorate or become exaggerated with time, and how some things you wish to erase are seemingly permanent while others you desperately cling to can fade against your will.... all these things have become a significant focus of mine in creating imagery.