Medicine to mend a broken heart - 17th February 2020

Dr Alain Brunet is a researcher in Canada. He studies painful memories and uses a medicine which makes them less painful. He is now working with harmful memories from relationships.

Dr Brunet first helped soldiers with trauma. He also helps people who were in terror attacks and crimes. He gives patients a medicine called propranolol. It is currently used by people who have bad headaches or stress.

Brunet’s treatment is called ‘reconsolidation therapy’. It takes away the emotional pain in the memories. The patient takes propranolol and waits an hour. Then they write down their trauma and read it to Dr Brunet. The patient learns new things about the memory. 70 per cent of patients feel better after a few ‘reconsolidation therapy’ sessions.

His new research focuses on relationship trauma. It shows his process can help other patients. The patient adds new information to the memory. The propranolol helps the brain remember this as a new, less painful memory.

Patients said they felt better after five sessions. The memory felt “like reading a novel”. Some patients improved after just one session.