Explain one study related to localization of function in the brain

Question 1

Why is this study important? (1)

Answer 1

Provides evidence that there are different memory systems in the brain

Question 2

Who and when was the first to report the case of H.M? What did he report? (2)

Answer 2

• Milner (1957)
• the profound effects on memory functioning, following an operation which removed the hippocampus and adjacent areas in H.M.’s brian

Question 3

Which areas of H.M.’s brain were removed? (1)

Answer 3

the hippocampus and adjacent areas

Question 4

What did Corkin et al. do? When did they do it? Why did they do it?

What did they discover? (2)

Answer 4

• MRI scan of H.M.’s brian
• 1997
• to get a precise picture of H.M.’s brain damage
• parts of the temporal lobe including the hippocampus and amygdala, were missing
• but the damage was not as extensive as previously believed

Question 5

Outline the H.M.’s story (9)

Answer 5

• suffered epileptic seizures after falling off his bike age 7
• eventually they incapacitated him, couldn’t live a normal life
• when 27, William Scovillle performed experimental surgery to stop seizures
• tissue from medial temporal lobe, inc hippocampus = removed on both sides of brain
• H.M. suffered from amnesia thereafter
• able to learn a few procedural memories
• personality unchanged
• shows hippocampus is important in memory processing + storage of new memories

Question 6

What can be learned about localisation of function in the brain in relation to memory from the case study of H.M.? (4)

Answer 6

• hippocampus plays critical role in conerting memories from STM (contemporary store) –> LTM (permanent store)
• H.M. had all memories before operation = hippocampus not permanent store
• H.M. could learn new procedural memories = not stored via hippocampus
• H.M. and other people with amnesia had deficits in 1 memory system but not in others = evidence that brain has several memory systems AND that these are supported by distinct brain regions

Question 7

Evaluation of the case study of H.M. (5+3)

Answer 7

• operation successful in that it stopped seizures, but caused brain damage
• H.M. participated in many tests for 50+ years
• this longitudinal case study has contributed enormously to the knowledge of how memory processes are related to specific brain areas eg:
• • medial temporal lobes = important for forming, organisation, consolidation and retrieval of memories
• • cortical areas = important for LTM, for facs and events (semantic and episodic memories), and the use of that info in daily life
• • procedural memories are not processed by the hippocampus
• ethical considerations: he could not remember all of the times he participated in research = unethical however the findings justified it
• not possible to generalise about larger pop but other case studies of people with brain damage support the findings = can gen. to some extent

Question 8

Explain one study related to localization of function in the brain (23)

Answer 8

The case study (3+9)
What can be learned about localisation of function in the brain in relation to memory from the case study of H.M. (4)
Evaluation of the case study of H.M. (5+3)