HM - Henry Gustav Molaison

He knew his name. That much he could remember.



Henry Gustav Molaison, born on Feb. 26, 1926 and he knew his name. That much he could remembee know everything from his early life, for example that his father is from from Thibodaux, and his mother was from Ireland. He remembered World War II and life in the 1940s. But he doesn't remeber nothing after that. Because in 1953 he underwent experimantal brain operation in Hartford to correct a seizure disorder. But the operation failed. So he developed a syndrome neurologists call profound amnesia. He had lost the ability to form new memories. And next 55 years everything like meeting friends and etc was new for him. And during this 55 years, the scientists discovered that he was the most important patient in the history of brain science.


He helped scientists understand the biology of learning, memory and physical dexterity, as well as the fragile nature of human identity.

Because today, when existing modern powerful brain-imaging technology and etc it's easy forgot how was it hard everything when they didn't have this technologies. In 20 century they believed that memory is not dependent on any one neural organ or region. But when they studiet HM, theyz discovered that this is fault. Because study demonstrate that part his memory is intact. The implications were enormous. Scientists saw that there were at least two systems in the brain for creating new memories. One records names, faces and new experiences and stores them until they are consciously retrieved. Another system, is subconscious and depends on other brain systems.

The hippocampus of the human brai

They saw that H. M.’s short-term memory was fine; he could hold thoughts in his head for about 20 seconds. It was holding onto them without the hippocampus that was impossible.