Memory suppression can help after trauma

Therapists have discussed for a long time whether attempts to voluntarily suppress the intrusion of trauma memories are helpful to combat the distressing impacts of trauma. Mary et al. studied survivors of the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks who developed posttraumatic stress disorder and those who did not (see the Perspective by Ersche). Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, they investigated the neural networks underlying the control and suppression of memory retrieval. The results suggest that the characteristic symptoms of the disorder are not related to the memory itself but to its maladaptive control. These results offer new insights into the development of post-traumatic stress disorder and potential avenues for treatment.

Science, this issue p. eaay8477; see also p. 734