Practice question · Sort into groups
Patient H.M. had both hippocampi removed. Sort each ability by whether he LOST it or RETAINED it.
Groups: Lost after surgery · Retained after surgery
- Forming a memory of a new fact he just read
- Gradually improving at a mirror-drawing motor task with practice
- Remembering what he ate for lunch an hour ago
- Learning a new person's name and face
- Recalling his own childhood
Hints
- The hippocampus is needed to FORM new long-term declarative memories - so those are lost.
- Old memories and new MOTOR (procedural) skills do not depend on the hippocampus - so they are retained.
Show the answer
Lost after surgery: Learning a new person's name and face, Remembering what he ate for lunch an hour ago, Forming a memory of a new fact he just read
Retained after surgery: Recalling his own childhood, Gradually improving at a mirror-drawing motor task with practice
Why
H.M. lost the ability to form new declarative memories (new names, recent lunch, new facts) but retained old memories (childhood) and could still learn new motor skills (mirror-drawing). The hippocampus is needed to FORM new declarative memories, not to store old ones or learn procedures.
Practise The Forebrain
The app has 7 more questions on this lesson, and keeps your place in the course. Psychology I is free to start.
More questions on The Forebrain
- Most people recall where they were when they heard shocking news, and recall a normal Tuesday hardly at all.…
- After both hippocampi were removed, patient H.M. practised mirror-drawing daily and got steadily better at it…
- Select every statement that is TRUE about the forebrain.
- Order how a new emotionally charged memory gets encoded.