Planting false memories in mice

Neuroscientists for the first time succeeded in planting false memories in the brains of mice. Using a technology called optogenetics they managed to mix up the memories of mice about two different chambers. In a three day experiment mice were first put into chamber A where they became familiarized with a harmless environment. On the second day they were placed in chamber B where they received a mild foot shock. However, at the moment of the shock researchers used light to activate the cells encoding the memory of chamber A. With this method they achieved to incept a false memory and connect the unpleasant feeling of the electric shock to the memories of chamber A instead of chamber B where the shocks actually happened. When mice were put back again in chamber A they froze in fear even though the chamber was harmless.

If you have seen the movie The Manchurian Candidate you probably freak out now just as the mice did in chamber A by the idea of changing the contents of existing memories by external means. We could say that this method holds the potential to cure PTSD and similar syndromes in the future but at the same time we can easily imagine what purpose this technology could serve if it fell into the wrong hands. Anyway, it is interesting to see that the memories that make up and define our personality are so fragile and susceptible to physical influence.

Read more about the research here.