In Memoriam
(This is a bit overdue since I have been busy with interviews.)
H.M., possibly the most famous patient ever in neuroscience, died Tuesday at the age of 82. Those of us who study biopsychology know his story well. After undergoing an experimental surgical procedure on his brain to correct a seizure disorder, he emerged with an inability to form new memories, a condition immortalized in such films as Memento and 50 First Dates.
Studying H.M. completely changed the way scientists thought about memory. In one experiment, H.M. was presented with the same complex task over and over. Although each time it struck him as an entirely new experience, his proficiency with the task increased over time. At one point, he was even observed to remark "Huh, this was easier than I thought it would be." The implications that the brain had at least two systems for creating new memories was groundbreaking at a time when our assumptions about memory were more nebulous.
Even in the last years of his life, H.M. continued to be open to visits from researchers. Though he would not remember a single one of those visits, his contributions to science will never be forgotten.
H.M., possibly the most famous patient ever in neuroscience, died Tuesday at the age of 82. Those of us who study biopsychology know his story well. After undergoing an experimental surgical procedure on his brain to correct a seizure disorder, he emerged with an inability to form new memories, a condition immortalized in such films as Memento and 50 First Dates.
Studying H.M. completely changed the way scientists thought about memory. In one experiment, H.M. was presented with the same complex task over and over. Although each time it struck him as an entirely new experience, his proficiency with the task increased over time. At one point, he was even observed to remark "Huh, this was easier than I thought it would be." The implications that the brain had at least two systems for creating new memories was groundbreaking at a time when our assumptions about memory were more nebulous.
Even in the last years of his life, H.M. continued to be open to visits from researchers. Though he would not remember a single one of those visits, his contributions to science will never be forgotten.