The discovery that mGLuR5 is integral to both extinguishing fearful memories and acquiring new ones could open the door to developing pharmaceuticals to treat PTSD. “You could hypothetically develop a drug that will isolate the receptor,” says Xu. “It could make it easier for a patient to form new memories and override traumatic events.” Currently, PTSD is treated with a combination of exposure therapy, in which patients relive traumatic events in safe environments, and SSRIs or tricyclic antidepressants. Now that they’ve identified this pathway, the team Xu is a part of will focus on eliminating mGluR5 in specific regions of the brain, he says, probably starting with the amygdala. As for the promise of erasing bad memories, Xu thinks it’s not a good idea. “It’s more appropriate to remember [a traumatic] event,” he says. “You just don’t want it to affect your daily life.”
(Via – Can’t remember where I found this. Let me know if you think I stole this from you)