HM: Milner (1966) Flashcards
Case Study
An in-depth examination of a singular person, group, or event.
Hippocampus
A structure of the brain which is involved in emotion, memory consolidation, and
spatial navigation
Multi-Store Model
Proposed that memory consisted of three stores: a sensory register, shortterm memory, and long-term memory, revolving around concepts of attention, recall, rehearsal
and retrieval.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Noninvasive medical imaging test, creating images of the
structure of the brain- application of magnetic field that aligns the proton spins, when field is
turned off the protons go through precession (return process creates radio signal that makes
image).
Localization of Function
the theory that specific parts of the brain control specific aspects of
brain function.
Aim:
Better understand the effects that the surgery had had on the patient HM
Background
-HM was hit by a cyclist and suffered from a head injury-
-repeated epileptic seizures
-Neurosurgeon performed surgery which removed tissue from the medial temporal lobe
(including hippocampus) on both sides of his brain.
- Time after procedure retrograde amnesia diminished, only had issues remembering the
period of about one year before operation (anterograde amnesia)
Procedure
Method triangulation:
o IQ testing
o Observation
o Interviews with HM and family
o Cognitive testing
o MRI scan carried out later
Results
Could not acquire new episodic knowledge or new semantic knowledge
o Brain structures removed are important in the transfer of information from STM
to LTM
- Able to form a cognitive map of spatial layout
- Capacity for working memory (could hold conversations)
- Could remember tasks if consistently rehearsed
- Procedural memories maintained
What was found
o Brain systems are highly complex
o Hippocampus plays roll in transfer from STM to LTM
o STM is not stored in hippocampus as HM was able to retain information if he
rehearsed it
o Remembrance of events before his surgery indicates medial temporal region is not
site of permanent storage but plays a role in the organization and permanent
storage of memories elsewhere
o Implicit memory contains several stores (ex. Procedural, emotional)- each is
related to different brain areas
Advantage
- Longitudinal- change could be observed over time
- Method triangulation- Increasing reliability and credibility
- High ecological validity- no variables manipulated, natural environment
Disadvantage
Limitation: Case studies are not easily replicated (unique case)
- Retrospective in nature: Do not have a lot of date on HM’s actual cognitive abilities
before accident
- Questions of ethics: Informed consent, confidentiality, right to withdraw
