BETA-ADRENERGIC ACTIVATION AND MEMORY FOR EMOTIONAL EVENTS

SUBSTANTIAL evidence from animal studies suggests that enhanced memory associated,vith emotional arousal results from an activation of beta- adrenergic stress hormone systems during and after an emotional experi ence(1-3). To examine this implication in human subjects, we investiga ted the effect of the beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist propranolol hydrochloride on long-term memory for an emotionally arousing short st ory, or a closely matched but more emotionally neutral story. We repor t here that propranolol significantly impaired memory of the emotional ly arousing story but did not affect memory of the emotionally neutral story. The impairing effect of propranolol on memory of the emotional story was not due either to reduced emotional responsiveness or to no nspecific sedative or attentional effects. The results support the hyp othesis that enhanced memory associated with emotional experiences inv olves activation of the beta-adrenergic system.