{"id":11679,"date":"2019-01-29T04:50:13","date_gmt":"2019-01-28T19:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themantic-education.com\/ibpsych\/?p=11679"},"modified":"2019-01-29T05:22:35","modified_gmt":"2019-01-28T20:22:35","slug":"key-study-hms-case-study-milner-and-scoville-1957","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themantic-education.com\/ibpsych\/2019\/01\/29\/key-study-hms-case-study-milner-and-scoville-1957\/","title":{"rendered":"Key Study: HM’s case study (Milner and Scoville, 1957)"},"content":{"rendered":"

HM’s case study is one of the most famous and important case studies in psychology, especially in cognitive psychology. It was the source of groundbreaking new knowledge on the role of the hippocampus in memory.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Background Info<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cLocalization of function in the brain\u201d<\/strong> means that different parts of the brain have different functions. Researchers have discovered this from over 100 years of research into the ways the brain works.<\/span> One such study was Milner\u2019s case study on Henry Molaison.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Gray739-emphasizing-hippocampus\"

The memory problems that HM experienced after the removal of his hippocampus provided new knowledge on the role of the hippocampus in memory formation (image: wikicommons)<\/p><\/div>\n

At the time of the first study by Milner, HM was 29 years old. He was a mechanic who had suffered from minor epileptic seizures from when he was ten years old and began suffering severe seizures as a teenager. These may have been a result of a bike accident when he was nine. His seizures were getting worse in severity, which resulted in HM being unable to work. Treatment for his epilepsy had been unsuccessful, so at the age of 27 HM (and his family) agreed to undergo a radical surgery<\/span> that would remove a part of his brain called the <\/span>hippocampus<\/b>. Previous research suggested that this could help reduce his seizures, but the impact it had on his memory was unexpected. The Doctor performing the radical surgery believed it was justified because of the seriousness of his seizures and the failures of other methods to treat them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Methods and Results<\/b><\/h3>\n

In one regard, the surgery was successful as it resulted in HM experiencing less seizures. However, immediately after the surgery, the hospital staff and HM\u2019s family noticed that he was suffering from <\/span>anterograde amnesia<\/b> (an inability to form new memories <\/span>after<\/span><\/i> the time of damage to the brain):<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some examples of his memory loss described in the case study: <\/span><\/p>\n