Amnesia and the Clive Wearing case

Overview

Anterograde and retrograde amnesia, the hippocampus, frontal lobe and cerebellum, episodic, semantic and procedural memory, and Wilson, Kopelman and Kapur's study of Clive Wearing.

What you need to know

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Questions from this subtopic

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1. 1

   What is neurological damage?

   Model answer

   Neurological damage is injury to the brain or nervous system. Neurological damage can be caused by a stroke, a head injury, an infection or a tumour.

2. 2

   What is anterograde amnesia?

   Model answer

   Anterograde amnesia is the inability to form new long-term memories after brain damage. Memories from before the damage may be kept.

3. 3

   What is retrograde amnesia?

   Model answer

   Retrograde amnesia is the loss of memories formed before the brain damage occurred. A person may be unable to recall their past but still form new memories.

4. 4

   What role does the hippocampus play in forming memories?

   Model answer

   The hippocampus, in the temporal lobe, helps to transfer new information from short-term to long-term memory. Damage to the hippocampus can cause anterograde amnesia.

5. 5

   How is the frontal lobe linked to retrograde amnesia?

   Model answer

   The frontal lobe helps to search for and retrieve stored memories. Frontal lobe damage is linked to retrograde amnesia, the loss of memories from before the damage.

6. 6

   What is procedural memory and which brain area supports it?

   Model answer

   Procedural memory is memory for skills and how to do things, such as riding a bike. The cerebellum, at the back of the brain, is important for procedural memory. Cerebellum damage can make skilled movements hard to learn or carry out.

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