LOCALIZATION
RESEARCH EVALUATION
1. HM case study: 1. HM Case Study:
Aim: In 1953 Scoville performed surgery This is the assumption, based on the
on the then 27-year-old H.M. to cure him results with other patients as well as H.M.
of his epileptic seizures. In the absence at that time of brain-
scanning equipment, other possibilities
Method: The surgery involved what was were also present. The high doses of
called a partial medial temporal lobe anti-epileptic drugs he was taking before,
resection. Scoville removed 8 cm of brain and the lower doses after the surgery,
tissue from the anterior two thirds of the may have resulted in some memory loss.
hippocampus, and believed he “probably Also, so far as we can see, no memory
destroyed the uncus and amygdala” as tests were conducted on H.M. before the
well (Scoville and Milner, 1957). Once the surgery, and the initial memory loss was
extent of the memory loss was realised, largely reported by his mother, with whom
Scoville and Milner wrote about this, along he lived.
with the results from this type of surgery
on nine other patients, in a prominent Reliability:
neurosurgical journal, and Milner started Milner used tried-and-tested memory
her cognitive studying of H.M. tests and puzzles. Most of these had
been designed by other memory
Procedure: Brain scans were repeatedly researchers and many of them were
conducted by the researcher to look at the replicated on H.M. by later researchers
development of the brain and how the like Suzanne Corkin. They all showed
hippocampus acts towards memory storage. consistent results with H.M. - a great
The type of brain scan that was conducted
example of standardised procedures and
was an MRI scan.
test-retest reliability.
Result: H.M. lost the ability to form new
memories. This is called anterograde Validity:
amnesia. He could do a task, and even Brenda Milner visited H.M. at his family
comment that it seemed easier than he home and tested him there. Although her
expected, without realising that he had memory tests were quite artificial, she
done it hundreds of times before. His also made observations about H.M. 's
anterograde procedural memory was behaviour and habits - such as his
totally affected. He also lost his memory watching old movies on TV without
for events that had happened after his remembering having seen them before -
surgery: he could not remember moving which backed up the test results.
house, nor that he had eaten a meal thirty
minutes previously. He had also suffered Later, H.M. wants to be cared for by
some retrograde amnesia of events Suzannne Corkin's team at
preceding the surgery, such as the death Massachusetts Institute of Technology
of his uncle three years before. However, (MIT). This might have been a less
his early childhood memories remained natural environment for H.M., but, given
,intact. His intelligence also remained as his condition, he never noticed. In effect,
before, at slightly above average. all environments became strange for
H.M., who couldn't even recognise
Conclusion: The surgery to remove part himself in the mirror, let alone realise he
of the hippocampus, the uncus and the was living in a strange place.
amygdala resulted in total anterograde
amnesia and partial retrograde amnesia. The strength of H.M. as a case study is
the validity of his condition: H.M. suffered
from "pure" or "clean" amnesia with few
other symptoms and was willing to work
with researchers to understand the brain.
2. Maguire et al (2000)
Aim: To examine whether structural Ethics:
changes could be detected in the brain of Critics point out that H.M. was in no
people with extensive experience of position to withhold his consent - he was
spatial navigation. entirely dependent on the researchers for
his care and did not understand his
Method: Structural MRI scans were situation. It could be argued that H.M.
obtained. 16 right-handed male London was a "human guinea pig" whose sad
taxi drivers participated; all had been condition was exploited by researchers.
driving for more than 1.5 years. Scans of However, the research followed the
50 healthy right-handed males who did principle of Respect. Up until his death,
not drive taxis were included for H.M. 's real identity was kept secret to
comparison. The mean age did not differ protect his privacy. Only 100 researchers
between the two groups. were ever granted access to H.M., out of
respect for his dignity. What's more, the
Results: 1) Increased grey matter was research could be justified in terms of
found in the brains of taxi drivers Social Responsibility.
compared with controls in two brain
regions, the right and left hippocampus.
The increased volume was found in the
posterior (rear) hippocampus.
2) Changes with navigation experience – 2. Maguire et al (2000)
A correlation was found between the Strengths:
amount of time spent as a taxi driver and
volume in the right posterior It offers us good knowledge about the
hippocampus. 'Localisation of Function' in the brain, and
how spatial memory could be linked to
Conclusion: The results provide our hippocampus.
evidence for structural differences MRI scans were also used, which does
between the hippocampi of London taxi very little damage to patients and is still
drivers and control participants, therefore extremely accurate most of the time.
suggesting that extensive practice with
spatial navigation affects the Limitations:
hippocampus.
The experiment was not very
, generalisable as only right - handed
3. Eugene Pauly males were used, as well as only taxi -
Aim: To illustrate the power of our drivers from London. This means that
unconsciousness commitment to other places and females are discounted.
particular memories.
It is only a correlational - study so we are
Results: unable to determine a clear cause and
● E.P could not store new memories, effect relationship between the size of the
his semantic knowledge had no hippocampus
chance after the damage.
● This study teaches us the nature of
memory and how habits develop.
● This study also shows the
importance the temporal lobe plays
in making new memories.
● Many of E.P's results were
strikingly similar to H.P's results in
memory tests.
NEUROTRANSMITTER
Special brain chemicals that
1) Carry an electrical charge across the synapse
2) Made only in the neurons
RESEARCH EVALUATION
1. HM case study: 1. HM Case Study:
Aim: In 1953 Scoville performed surgery This is the assumption, based on the
on the then 27-year-old H.M. to cure him results with other patients as well as H.M.
of his epileptic seizures. In the absence at that time of brain-
scanning equipment, other possibilities
Method: The surgery involved what was were also present. The high doses of
called a partial medial temporal lobe anti-epileptic drugs he was taking before,
resection. Scoville removed 8 cm of brain and the lower doses after the surgery,
tissue from the anterior two thirds of the may have resulted in some memory loss.
hippocampus, and believed he “probably Also, so far as we can see, no memory
destroyed the uncus and amygdala” as tests were conducted on H.M. before the
well (Scoville and Milner, 1957). Once the surgery, and the initial memory loss was
extent of the memory loss was realised, largely reported by his mother, with whom
Scoville and Milner wrote about this, along he lived.
with the results from this type of surgery
on nine other patients, in a prominent Reliability:
neurosurgical journal, and Milner started Milner used tried-and-tested memory
her cognitive studying of H.M. tests and puzzles. Most of these had
been designed by other memory
Procedure: Brain scans were repeatedly researchers and many of them were
conducted by the researcher to look at the replicated on H.M. by later researchers
development of the brain and how the like Suzanne Corkin. They all showed
hippocampus acts towards memory storage. consistent results with H.M. - a great
The type of brain scan that was conducted
example of standardised procedures and
was an MRI scan.
test-retest reliability.
Result: H.M. lost the ability to form new
memories. This is called anterograde Validity:
amnesia. He could do a task, and even Brenda Milner visited H.M. at his family
comment that it seemed easier than he home and tested him there. Although her
expected, without realising that he had memory tests were quite artificial, she
done it hundreds of times before. His also made observations about H.M. 's
anterograde procedural memory was behaviour and habits - such as his
totally affected. He also lost his memory watching old movies on TV without
for events that had happened after his remembering having seen them before -
surgery: he could not remember moving which backed up the test results.
house, nor that he had eaten a meal thirty
minutes previously. He had also suffered Later, H.M. wants to be cared for by
some retrograde amnesia of events Suzannne Corkin's team at
preceding the surgery, such as the death Massachusetts Institute of Technology
of his uncle three years before. However, (MIT). This might have been a less
his early childhood memories remained natural environment for H.M., but, given
,intact. His intelligence also remained as his condition, he never noticed. In effect,
before, at slightly above average. all environments became strange for
H.M., who couldn't even recognise
Conclusion: The surgery to remove part himself in the mirror, let alone realise he
of the hippocampus, the uncus and the was living in a strange place.
amygdala resulted in total anterograde
amnesia and partial retrograde amnesia. The strength of H.M. as a case study is
the validity of his condition: H.M. suffered
from "pure" or "clean" amnesia with few
other symptoms and was willing to work
with researchers to understand the brain.
2. Maguire et al (2000)
Aim: To examine whether structural Ethics:
changes could be detected in the brain of Critics point out that H.M. was in no
people with extensive experience of position to withhold his consent - he was
spatial navigation. entirely dependent on the researchers for
his care and did not understand his
Method: Structural MRI scans were situation. It could be argued that H.M.
obtained. 16 right-handed male London was a "human guinea pig" whose sad
taxi drivers participated; all had been condition was exploited by researchers.
driving for more than 1.5 years. Scans of However, the research followed the
50 healthy right-handed males who did principle of Respect. Up until his death,
not drive taxis were included for H.M. 's real identity was kept secret to
comparison. The mean age did not differ protect his privacy. Only 100 researchers
between the two groups. were ever granted access to H.M., out of
respect for his dignity. What's more, the
Results: 1) Increased grey matter was research could be justified in terms of
found in the brains of taxi drivers Social Responsibility.
compared with controls in two brain
regions, the right and left hippocampus.
The increased volume was found in the
posterior (rear) hippocampus.
2) Changes with navigation experience – 2. Maguire et al (2000)
A correlation was found between the Strengths:
amount of time spent as a taxi driver and
volume in the right posterior It offers us good knowledge about the
hippocampus. 'Localisation of Function' in the brain, and
how spatial memory could be linked to
Conclusion: The results provide our hippocampus.
evidence for structural differences MRI scans were also used, which does
between the hippocampi of London taxi very little damage to patients and is still
drivers and control participants, therefore extremely accurate most of the time.
suggesting that extensive practice with
spatial navigation affects the Limitations:
hippocampus.
The experiment was not very
, generalisable as only right - handed
3. Eugene Pauly males were used, as well as only taxi -
Aim: To illustrate the power of our drivers from London. This means that
unconsciousness commitment to other places and females are discounted.
particular memories.
It is only a correlational - study so we are
Results: unable to determine a clear cause and
● E.P could not store new memories, effect relationship between the size of the
his semantic knowledge had no hippocampus
chance after the damage.
● This study teaches us the nature of
memory and how habits develop.
● This study also shows the
importance the temporal lobe plays
in making new memories.
● Many of E.P's results were
strikingly similar to H.P's results in
memory tests.
NEUROTRANSMITTER
Special brain chemicals that
1) Carry an electrical charge across the synapse
2) Made only in the neurons
