Scientists focused on mitigating the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder have performed a successful pilot study testing a pill that is intended to blunt painful memories. To reduce the amount of adrenaline and other hormones released during, after, and while remembering a traumatic event, they administered proranolol to patients who had just experienced a rape or accident. It's suspected the presence of these naturally produced chemicals reappear later on and are what cause people to experience high levels of panic and depression while recollecting a traumatic incident.

In the pilot program, eight patients who were given proranolol did not experience stress symptoms while listening to tape recordings of themselves describing their painful experiences three months later. Fourteen patients that received placebo pills did exhibit these signs. A follow-up experiment is planned at New York University.

"The important thing to know about this drug is it doesn't put a hole in their memory. It doesn't create amnesia."

Read the article. (Newsday)