Task 11: What does the hippocampus do? The case of H.M
The case of H.M
...was referred to William Beecher Scoville, a neurosurgeon at Hartford Hospital, for treatment.[2] Scoville localized HM's epilepsy to his left and right medial temporal lobes (MTLs) and suggested surgical resection of the MTLs as a treatment. On September 1, 1953, . H. M.'s bilateral medial temporal lobe resection included the hippocampal formation and adjacent structures including most of the amygdaloid complex and entorhinal cortex was removed. His hippocampus appeared entirely nonfunctional because the remaining 2 cm of hippocampal tissue appeared atrophic and because the entire entorhinal cortex, which forms the major sensory input to the hippocampus, was destroyed. Some of his anterolateral temporal cortex was also destroyed. After the surgery—which was successful in its primary goal of controlling his epilepsy—he suffered from severe anterograde amnesia: although his working memory and procedural memory were intact, he could not commit new events to his explicit memory...
See the complete article here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Molaison
Read the complete article.
Now answer the following questions:
What part of the brain was removed to treat the seizures?
What was the side effect of this surgery?
...was referred to William Beecher Scoville, a neurosurgeon at Hartford Hospital, for treatment.[2] Scoville localized HM's epilepsy to his left and right medial temporal lobes (MTLs) and suggested surgical resection of the MTLs as a treatment. On September 1, 1953, . H. M.'s bilateral medial temporal lobe resection included the hippocampal formation and adjacent structures including most of the amygdaloid complex and entorhinal cortex was removed. His hippocampus appeared entirely nonfunctional because the remaining 2 cm of hippocampal tissue appeared atrophic and because the entire entorhinal cortex, which forms the major sensory input to the hippocampus, was destroyed. Some of his anterolateral temporal cortex was also destroyed. After the surgery—which was successful in its primary goal of controlling his epilepsy—he suffered from severe anterograde amnesia: although his working memory and procedural memory were intact, he could not commit new events to his explicit memory...
See the complete article here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Molaison
Read the complete article.
Now answer the following questions:
What part of the brain was removed to treat the seizures?
What was the side effect of this surgery?