Case Studies With Brain Damaged Patients

Question 1

Name four case studies

Answer 1

• H.M.
• K.C.
• K.F.
• Clive Wearing

Question 2

What happened to H.M.?

Answer 2

Had retrograde and anterograde amnesia as a result of the removal of his hippocampus

Question 3

What happened to K.C.?

Answer 3

Was in a motorcycle accident which damaged his hippocampus - lost all of his episodic memory

Question 4

What happened to K.F.?

Answer 4

Was in a motorcycle accident - can’t process verbal information but can process visual information

Question 5

What happened to Clive Wearing?

Answer 5

Had a brain disease which caused him to suffer from retrograde and anterograde amnesia

Question 6

Are case studies concerning brain damaged patients generalisable?

Answer 6

No because:

• Case studies are unique
• Brain damage is an uncommon disorder

Question 7

Are case studies concerning brain damaged patients reliable?

Answer 7

No because:

-Brain damage can’t intentionally be replicated

However:

-The research on brain damaged patients is usually standardised

Question 8

Are case studies concerning brain damaged patients applicable?

Answer 8

Yes because:

• Gives a better understanding of the brain and had made brain surgery safer
• Shows how the damage has affected the brain and how it can be helped

Question 9

Are case studies concerning brain damaged patients valid?

Answer 9

Yes because:

-Patients live through their disorder everyday so it’s realistic

However, studying brain damage may not discover how the damage has effected the brain but how the brain has responded to damage (repairing itself)

Question 10

Are case studies concerning brain damaged patients ethical?

Answer 10

No because:

-They may be unable to give informed consent

However, researchers usually stop the study when they feel the patient is distressed/coming to harm