Corkin (1984) H.M. was 27 when brain surgeons removed most of his hippocampus
and part of the amygdala in a last attempt to relieve the patient’s severe and lifethreatening
epilepsy. The operation did achieve its goal, because the seizures were
milder and could be managed with medication. His memory, however, had been
affected dramatically. Although H.M. could recall most of the events that had
occurred before the operation, he could no longer remember new experiences for
much longer than 15 minutes. The declarative memories (i.e. memories of facts and
events) vanished like water down the drain. With sufficient practice, H.M. could
acquire new skills, such as solving a puzzle or playing tennis (this kind of memory is
called procedural memories), but he could not remember learning these skills. Nor
could he learn new words, songs, stories, or faces. H.M.’s doctors had to reintroduce
themselves every time they saw him. It seems that H.M.’s terrible memory deficits
involve a problem in transferring explicit memories from short-term storage into longterm
storage in the first place. He would read the same issue of a magazine over and
over again without realising it. He could not recall the day of the week, the year, or
even his last meal. Today, many years later, H.M. will occasionally recall unusually
emotional evens, such as the assassination of someone named Kennedy. He
sometimes remembers that both his parents are dead, and he knows he has memory
problems. But according to Suzanne Corkin, who has studied H.M. extensively, these
“islands of remembering” are the exceptions in a vast sea of forgetfulness. He still
does not know the scientists who have studied him for decades. Although he is now in
his seventies, he thinks he is much younger. This good-natured man can no longer
recognise a photograph of his own face; he is stuck in a time warp from the past.
Corkin (1984) H.M. was 27 when brain surgeons removed most of his hippocampusand part of the amygdala in a last attempt to relieve the patient’s severe and lifethreateningepilepsy. The operation did achieve its goal, because the seizures weremilder and could be managed with medication. His memory, however, had beenaffected dramatically. Although H.M. could recall most of the events that hadoccurred before the operation, he could no longer remember new experiences formuch longer than 15 minutes. The declarative memories (i.e. memories of facts andevents) vanished like water down the drain. With sufficient practice, H.M. couldacquire new skills, such as solving a puzzle or playing tennis (this kind of memory iscalled procedural memories), but he could not remember learning these skills. Norcould he learn new words, songs, stories, or faces. H.M.’s doctors had to reintroducethemselves every time they saw him. It seems that H.M.’s terrible memory deficitsinvolve a problem in transferring explicit memories from short-term storage into longtermstorage in the first place. He would read the same issue of a magazine over andover again without realising it. He could not recall the day of the week, the year, oreven his last meal. Today, many years later, H.M. will occasionally recall unusuallyemotional evens, such as the assassination of someone named Kennedy. Hesometimes remembers that both his parents are dead, and he knows he has memoryproblems. But according to Suzanne Corkin, who has studied H.M. extensively, these“islands of remembering” are the exceptions in a vast sea of forgetfulness. He stilldoes not know the scientists who have studied him for decades. Although he is now inhis seventies, he thinks he is much younger. This good-natured man can no longerrecognise a photograph of his own face; he is stuck in a time warp from the past.
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