DISPENSARY CORNER 16 Dec 15
December 16, 2015
IF THE mere thought of spiders
alone is enough to make your skin
crawl, then news of this two minute
‘miracle’ treatment is sure
to make your day.
Researchers at the University of
Amsterdam have found that just
a single dosage of propranolol - a
beta-blocker traditionally used
to treat high blood pressure - is
enough to significantly reduce
the physical symptoms of fear in
participants with arachnophobia,
after brief exposure to a tarantula.
Known also for its amnesic
effects, propranolol treatment
is anchored on the theory of
“reconsolidation”, first discovered
15-years ago by Dr. Joseph
LeDoux, who hypothesised that
core memories can be modified
or altered in order to lessen
psychological impact.
Forty-five arachnophobes were
enlisted in the study, exposed to
the tarantula for two minutes,
before being randomised to
receive either a single 40mg
dosage of propranolol or a
placebo.
Those that received the
treatment demonstrated a
significant reduction in avoidance
behaviour, with the effects
remaining for one-year after the
study concluded.
“The proposed revolutionary
intervention involves one single,
brief intervention that leads to a
sudden, substantial and lasting
loss of fear,” said Dr Merel Kindt,
one of the authors of the study.
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