Broken hearts healed with a pill - 17th February 2020

A Canadian researcher working on emotional trauma has turned his focus to relationship break-ups. His research suggests that painful memories of an ex-partner can be cured with a commonly prescribed medicine.

A specialist in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Montreal-based Dr Alain Brunet has supported those suffering trauma from combat situations or terrorist attacks, as well as victims of crime, for the last 15 years. His work centres on the common beta-blocker propranolol, well-documented as a routine treatment for migraine and hypertension. His latest research findings indicate it might offer a treatment solution in other areas.

Focused on neutralizing the emotional pain rooted in traumatic memories, Brunet’s therapeutic approach, which he calls ‘reconsolidation therapy’, edits the memory of the event. Having taken propranolol an hour prior to therapy, the patient is instructed to write and then read aloud a detailed account of the traumatic incident.

‘Reconsolidating’ the memory in this way creates a space to target the emotionally painful part. The medication enables the brain to retain a revised, less emotional form of this memory. Research findings indicate that for 70% of patients it requires just a few reconsolidation therapy sessions to effectively relieve trauma.

Armed with this evidence, Dr Brunet and his former graduate student Dr Michelle Lonergan teamed up to investigate reconsolidation therapy’s effect on the broken heart.

Brunet explains that when something new is learnt about a recalled traumatic memory, propranolol lets it unlock so the patient can update it and save it again. Within five sessions, patients reported the "impression that this memory could have been written by someone else - like reading a novel".

The research acknowledges the similarities between scars left by break-ups and PTSD. Some of the study participants reported an improvement after just one therapy session. However, it remains unclear whether society is ready to embrace this approach to healing romantic wounds.